Fashion Spotlight: LSOUL Embodies the Soul of Vietnamese Fashion
Founded in 2015 by Nguyen Trong Lam, LSOUL is a Vietnam-based fashion brand, known for its conceptual shows and feminine pieces. In recent seasons, the brand has risen to global acknowledgment thanks to its hyper-feminine aesthetics, favored by stars from across the globe. Some of the celebs donning LSOUL designs include IU, Madison Beer, TWICE, BABYMONSTER, Jade Thirlwall and Thai actor Davikah — to name a few. Most notably, K-pop star Jennie Kim has recurrently sported pieces from the brand, particularly during the promotions of her latest single “Mantra.”
Nguyen’s interest in fashion developed naturally. As a child, he always took notice of aesthetics and appearances; as a university student, he envisioned a successful future in the fashion business. “All I knew was that I loved beautiful things from a young age,” he tells EnVi. Nguyen started his entrepreneurial journey as a college student looking to earn extra income through his menswear label, L’Jin. With the business growing slowly and steadily, his family offered support, allowing him to travel to China to source merchandise and earn enough profit to open his first offline store. However, Nguyen decided that he wanted to take a leap and start a womenswear brand, leading up to the launch of LSOUL in 2016.
Ahead of LSOUL’s rebranding (the brand was previously named LSEOUL), there were questions and confusion regarding the name. Nguyen explains, “The ‘L’ in LSOUL comes from the first letter of Lam (the founder’s name). The ‘SEOUL’ portion stemmed from the story of my early days venturing into Saigon to start my career, where I was fortunate to meet my first mentor, who hailed from Seoul, South Korea. This mentor provided immense help and encouragement to me during those entrepreneurial years.”
Now, with a brand new name, the brand steps into a new chapter, one that promises a fashion evolution, reflecting a unique soul and “reflects boundless creativity.”
Growth in Isolation
Although LSOUL now dresses high-profile celebrities and has garnered over 200k followers on social media, Nguyen has experienced a fair share of challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business hit a significant low — at one point, he recalls that the entire team contracted the virus. The pandemic also led to the brand going through a nine-month lockdown, three of which the team stopped operations altogether.
Right after the COVID lockdown period, the team also experienced issues with production due to policies that increased their import costs and shipping fees. This caused the brand to shift to a fully localized manufacturing process, which also meant Nguyen and his board of directors had to figure out how to operate and calculate a new business model.
“These were my closest colleagues, quite literally partners in life-or-death situations sometimes. Battling with loved ones is always far harder than facing off against strangers on the battlefield,” Nguyen shares, emphasizing how teamwork and trust have remained essential for the brand to push past tough times. “But step-by-step, after around a year, I proved to those who had entrusted me that they made the right choice in their professional partnership.”
Love-filled Musings
Nguyen has deep affection and adoration for his loved ones and close entourage. To him, they’re not just his support system or teammates, but also a source of inspiration. “I have been fortunate to be surrounded by many remarkable women, from family to friends. They are likely my greatest source of inspiration. These women exude a powerful, captivating, seductive and authoritative aura, yet at their core are profoundly feminine, generously giving of their love and affection,” the designer says. “You may notice a common thread across LSOUL’s designs — they transform the woman wearing the piece into a queen commanding attention wherever she goes.”
The romanticism, however, comes from a more intimate source: his partner of 10 years. “Beyond the queenly grandeur, you’ll find LSOUL’s pieces imbued with a whimsical quality — a testament to my partner’s enduring romanticism,” Nguyen explains. “He has remained unchanged from when we were penniless students to my current status — our connection lasting through it all.”
An Incomparable Collection
For LSOUL’s collection, “Incomparable,” Nguyen presented a bolder and sultrier take on the brand’s signature romanticism. The presentation was grand, with models dressed in dramatic clothes reminiscent of past eras. They strutted across a backdrop of white cloth wrapped around various objects and candles laid out on the ground. The bold pieces featured elements of corsetry — boning was present, lace-up elements added to the looks and silhouettes highlighted the waist — mixed with a tinge of sultry femininity courtesy of the color palette and fluid fabrics.
The story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a powerful female figure from the Middle Ages inspired the collection. Not only was Eleanor raised in a powerful and elite European court, but she was also married to King Louis VII of France. Then, King Henry II of England landed her in a position of high power over Europe’s politics — so powerful that she was called the “Grandmother of Europe.”
Finding inspiration in her status and the power she held, LSOUL’s latest collection is a collision between force and femininity. “When donning the designs, the woman is imbued with regal, aristocratic grandeur while still radiating an innately feminine, captivating allure,” Nguyen says.
Core Principles
LSOUL’s distinct take on femininity and subversive fashion, aligned with current trends, is one of the reasons the brand remains popular among industry insiders and consumers. This sensitivity to what’s setting the tone in fashion is something Nguyen finds essential. But, as he clarifies, having a sense of consistency to strengthen the brand’s design codes is just as important.
“No matter how far-reaching our inspirations may be, I always ground myself in upholding our brand’s core criteria when finalizing collection pieces,” he shares. Nguyen manages a team of around 50 creatives, including patternmakers, tailors, and pre and post-production personnel in Vietnam and overseas. As a creative director, he knows he is responsible for fusing innovation with brand signatures and ensuring the quality of every release.
In addition to strong principles during the design process, the brand also places utmost care on every fashion show. Nguyen views presentations as a vital opportunity to optimize the runway as a platform to share narratives and concepts.
Crafting a Solid Branding
“The fashion business heavily prioritizes branding. It’s as simple as this — you’re far more likely to purchase a T-shirt with a famous brand name than one from a street market on payday,” the creative director shares. He emphasizes the importance of developing a brand’s image and identity holistically. Not only are fashion shows a great way to tell a story and convey the concepts the brand is exploring, but they also allow an immersive experience for watchers. Although a collection design may be stunning, a well-executed fashion show takes it up a notch. From the attendees, music and models, to the venue and set design, everything should reflect the brand’s essence. “Therefore, for LSOUL, investing utmost attention to conceptualizing, designing and executing an immaculate runway is critical for branding,” expands Nguyen
However, the designer is keen on keeping the brand’s identity cohesive even outside of their commerce and shows. In campaigns and editorials, the seasonal concept remains cohesive thanks to Nguyen’s hands-on approach as a creative director — he remains involved in all aspects of the brand’s activations. He helps to create and instruct a general direction and brand overview. Afterward, he reviews and oversees the quality and mode of execution. “My role is to fuse innovative concepts with LSOUL’s signature sophistication and whimsicality — adapting to what’s new while preserving what makes us quintessentially LSOUL.”
Pushing Vietnamese Fashion Forward
In recent years, Vietnamese fashion has been on the rise among young fashion enthusiasts. Brands like LSOUL are always on the brink of new trends and provide audiences with one-of-a-kind pieces. Although senior Vietnamese designers have transcended into the global sphere and earned recognition, the industry received explosive growth after the COVID-19 onset. To Nguyen, this interest in Asian creatives comes as an impact of the booming Asian entertainment industry, which has shifted the spotlight into the region, as well as a byproduct of the new generation’s spending habits.
“We cannot overlook favorable external factors like the Korean culture and idol wave priming global audiences to appreciate Asian aesthetics,” he states. “Additionally, as consumer habits evolved, fashionistas began prioritizing core product value rather than just chasing big-name brands. Consumers now seek a balance between core value and price.”
But rather than singling down or crediting the Vietnamese fashion industry’s growth to a singular aspect, the creative director believes that this development is the result of an accumulation of efforts. He also considers that the new generation of designers has played a big part in the increasing awareness and interest in the local scene. Nguyen explains that graduates returning from their studies abroad have improved the quality of operations and approaches in the local industry, while Vietnamese talents abroad have amplified Vietnam’s presence on the global scene.
“You know, a tree doesn’t just thrive from being planted in fertile soil. It needs daily nurturing words, butterflies and birds “dancing” around it, fresh air, water and nourishing care,” he muses wisely. “No single factor can propel success — it takes the collective, sustained effort of an entire team working in unison, like a football team. The striker’s role is to score goals, but even 10 goals are fruitless if you concede 20. That’s why we need defenders and goalkeepers too.”
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