Going to Paris Fashion Week this fall was a complete “pinch me” moment. Not only because of the shows and designers I got to see but more so the people I met along the way. I’m not gonna lie, even after going to NYFW for several seasons, I was pretty nervous to go to PFW. I will tell you about the differences between the two in a future blog post! For this one, I want to tell you about Hong Hoa Couture. I had the pleasure of collaborating with her for the Night at the Ballet editorial shoot!
This collaboration with the Auditorium Theater was scheduled for a few months.However, I wanted to wait until I found the perfect dress to feature for the dreamy “Night at the Ballet” editorial vision. I reached out to Hong Hoa after completely falling in love with her collection in Paris. I could picture one of her dresses in this magnificent auditorium and really didn’t know what she would say. In fact, I thought might just not reply. To my surprise she said yes!
Night at the Ballet-HongHoaXZibaLennox collaboration
For the Night at the Ballet fanstasy, what I was really hoping for was simply to borrow an existing dress. That’s it! Instead, like the boss mom that she is she exclaimed “I’ll design one for you!”. Hong Hoa asked detailed questions about the creative brief so we worked through the colors, vibe and the kind of woman that would be wearing her beautiful creation. I really wanted to create a dream-like atmosphere that would capture the whimsical expectations of a night out on the town. Particularly around the holidays!
As a working mama, I always look forward to those festive evenings when I can dress up, interlace my hubby’s arm and try to dazzle for the occasion. Many evenings are spent at home in sweatpants, and my hair in mom bun, chasing kids to eat their dinner. I wanted to capture that fantasy in my mind about “stealing the spotlight” and Hong Hoa was the perfect accomplice!
Colors
The Auditorium Theater is gold & a deep dark red. Thereore, Hong Hoa selected a beautiful emerald green to pop against the dramatic, royal backdrop.
Cut
Hong Hoa was inspired by my dance background and movement in my photos so she chose a long flowy skirt to inspire twirling! The pretty, intricate, sequined top reminds me of my old ballet costumes. I loved the detail and exquisite crafting on the bodice and lace-up back. It was perfect for Night at the Ballet theme!
Clarity
Ok, this is not a diamond but kind of! I was not CLEAR that she would be giving me this dress. She sent over care instructions and I was like, “wait, I get to keep this creation?!” Yes! she said! It’s yours. I ran over to tell my mom and she started crying, which made me cry. Haha. She is the original fashionista, that had about 95 pairs of shoes when I was growing up. Thank you Hong Hoa for collaborating with me and gifting this exquisite piece of art!
Capture
Finally, this whole vision would not have been complete with out my dear friend and long-time photographer, Samir from Shots with Samir!
My interview with Hong Hoa
1) How long have you been designing?
I have always felt gifted with an artistic talent, namely as a fine arts artist. At an early age, I began drawing and painting landscapes, portraits and still life using various mediums. During my teen years (about the age of 14), I discovered a newly found love for fashion illustration. Concurrently, I developed a passion for sewing and fashion designing; I learned how to sew watching my two oldest sisters, who went to trade school for sewing and textile designing. However, I officially started my clothing brand about two years ago.
2) What does your name mean?
Sewly is not my name; it is just a pun used as my personal IG handle. My first name is Hong Hoa, Vietnamese for the flower rose, which is how the SS20 Rose Collection received its name. My brand is also HONG HOA. Couture by Hong Hoa is a specific segment of my brand that only produces custom, made-to-measure (MTM) couture pieces for specific purposes/occasions such as runway, galas and any other formal events. I also have a ready-to-wear (RTW) line in the works, which will be launched in the near future; it will bear HONG HOA as the clothing label as it will be mass produced with generic sizes.
Did you always know you were destined for it?
Growing up, fashion designing was what I wanted to do but I did not really know whether or not that’s my destiny. During my final year of high school, I created a portfolio to be submitted to Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NY with a desire to pursue a career in the fashion industry. However, it was never submitted nor did I ever applied because my career plans changed; my parents felt that fashion designing was not an ideal career for me. I ended up obtaining a Bachelor’s in English Literature and Accounting followed by a Master’s in Human Resources Management; with no regrets, thanks to my parents for my academic accomplishments.
Even though I have a career in my 9-5 life, I still don’t feel completely fulfilled as if something is missing. This gap is fulfilled when I found myself designing and sewing again two years ago. But it started with me styling my own wardrobe for every day outfits. Often times I said to myself, “I can totally make this outfit better ”. I went from altering an existing piece to saying “Heck I can make it from scratch with my own twist.” This time around, I know for sure this is what I’m meant to do and I’m ready to revisit a burning passion that I left over 10 years ago. True passion withstands the test of time and obstacles.
3) What’s your daily inspo?
When it comes to creating a collection, honestly, inspiration does not happen on the daily for me. It is more like an ongoing process and it happens very randomly. It can stem from something I see at a park, on travel, etc. If something inspires me or sparks an idea, I doodle it and store it, otherwise I will forget. I then look at my ideas collectively to come up an entire collection. An entire collection has a recurring motif that makes it a unique individual piece yet still cohesive together.
4) How do you find inspo on the bad days?
On bad days, I do just the opposite. Honestly, I can’t be inspired and my mind is not organized enough to think about a design when I am in a bad mood or when I’m rushed. Therefore, I like to take time and create pieces on my best days so the final product can reflect a well thought out design.
5) How has being a mom changed your work?
Becoming a mom has made this journey a bit more challenging. Starting and running a business in itself is challenging and requires so much hard work. When you add kids to the mix, it gets more complicated. But as a mother, we put our children first and we adjust accordingly. I have to work around my children’s school schedule and activities; I work late hours at nights and on the weekends. Having a great supportive husband is definitely a blessing. (agree!)
6) What was it like showing in Paris?
It was surreal. It was an unbelievably amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I spent about 10 months working on the SS20 Rose Collection and I was looking at these designs every day in my sewing lab during this time to the point that I got tired of looking at them. But nobody else except my husband saw these pieces; the world hadn’t seen it. Then the suspense started a few days leading up to the show when I landed in Paris. I was excited, grateful and nervous all at the same time.
Then show day happened and my daughter and I were on stage, looking at hundreds of people who came to see the same designs I was tired of looking at for the past 10 months. Afterwards, I watched the live recording of my show and just couldn’t believe that was all my hard work. I am beyond grateful for this experience and for the amazing Oxford team beside me.
7) Advice for aspiring designers.
Fashion designing is an extremely competitive industry and the only way to sustain is to stay true to who you are and keep your designs original and unique. Don’t succumb to society standards and trends. Create the pieces that carry meaning. Don’t do it just because that is what sells. In addition to originality, a tremendous amount of hard work and unyielding determination are required. Don’t ever quit even when it doesn’t work after a few tries because in this industry, not all of your designs will make it to production and even when it does, it can get rejected by others.
Watch Hong Hoa Paris Fashion Week
I hope you’re as inspired as I was to learn more about Hong Hoa and how she is making her dreams come true. Make sure to follow on her Instagram and reach out to her with custom dress requests! Thank you once again, HH, for being an amazing partner and trusting me with your creation for Night at the Ballet! If you enjoyed this designer interview, please let me know. XO, Z
Photographs by Samir Abraham from Shots With Samir. Purse: Chanel. Jewelry: Stella & Ruby