Upon entering Saigon Concepts studio off of Phan Chu Trinh street, down Hẻm 58, Lam and Chris, long-term partners, co-owners, and seasoned professionals, led me downstairs to the brand’s underground operations: the sewing rooms. In the main room, head sewer Phuong stood over the draftsman table tending to a recent batch order. Glasses on and an apron wrapped around her waist, she held a roll of fabric as tall as her while beneath her feet was the ground floor strewn with various fabric offcuts. Bags of orders yet to be shipped and restocked in hotels all around Vietnam awaited their future holiday destinations. All material was natural and often deadstock representing the core values Saigon Concepts believes in.
The other room was smaller, quieter, and home to fellow sewer, Tram. When I entered the sewing room directly beneath the studio’s showroom, Tram had her nose right up at the sewing machine, diligently pedaling a seam for a white linen dress with delicate white lace trim. The machine was one of nine—each designed for the various styles of sewing such as interlocking, overlocking, and zig-zag stitching. Lining the shelves were pins, tags, buttons, rolls of yarn and tape—although somewhat messy each had its own spot. If it wasn’t for a brief introduction, Phuong and Tram most likely wouldn’t have noticed an outsider like myself briefly drifting in and out of their territory. Whether standing or seated, the two women were engrossed in their duties, willing, and able to fulfill that day’s client’s demands. While Lam informed me they worked five days a week, by the looks of the white and pink lettering “I ain’t resting on pretty” on his black t-shirt, I assumed that wasn’t the case for him. In fact, Lam in particular has been thinking about fashion seven days a week since the age of ten.
Ever since one of his older sisters taught him how to sew, Lam’s been making clothing for others. Whether it’s the dolls he used to play with in his childhood home here in Saigon or for brands stationed all around the world—from Australia to Hong Kong to back to Vietnam—Lam has been in love with fashion all his life. To be specific, it’s the journey of going from a 2D drawing in his notebook to a 3D shape worn by another person that has long intrigued Lam’s mind. We sat in a perfect spot in his studio to dissect why he runs Saigon Concepts in the manner he does. The giant six-foot-wide inkjet plotter sat against the wall to my right, the row of colorful garments for men and women lined the wall behind me, a mannequin watched over us chat while clothed in one of the brand’s recent Hawaiian-style shirts, and finally Lam’s assistant, Uyen, sat at her desk in front of her computer organizing upcoming orders.
Saigon Concepts is a decades-long full circle moment for Lam. He grew up in Vietnam and later left as a boat-person for Australia. By then he had already spent countless weekends at Tân Bình and Chợ Lớn markets buying limited fabrics and accessories, constructing patterns, and building his own clothing from scratch—an ability he says most designers lack. “I’m more of a practical creative,” he noted. “I like hands-on creating. Most creative designers just draw—they don't create. I like putting things together and I have the technical skills for it." Along those lines he added, growing up in post-war Vietnam, the fact that materials were scarce never obstructed his development. If anything, environmental constraints propelled his creativity in a way that those who live with access to an abundance of resources could never fathom. Having said that, at first he stuck to fulfilling his parents’ wishes—specifically his father’s—by enrolling as an engineering major. Four years later he changed course though. Even close to completion of his engineering degree, Lam’s childlike obsession for bringing his ideas to life had no chance of being contained.
After a stint working in hospitality following his departure from his engineering path, Lam enrolled in a two year vocational course for advanced apparel manufacturing. He said school taught him a lot about design, but in terms of actually making real stuff—the kind of hands-on work he deeply craved—that didn’t come until entering the workforce. He started as a design room assistant learning pattern-making and worked his way up to higher level positions. Living in Australia is also how he met his partner and co-owner Chris, who specializes in event management and helps bring Saigon Concepts message to Vietnam and beyond.
Lam stayed in Australia for over two decades before relocating to spend the following decade working in Hong Kong as a Global Technical Lead for brands like Triumph, Ann Taylor, Talbot, Lane Bryant, and Li & Fung. However, after many years away from home, he had learned, designed, constructed, and sold almost all sorts of fashion as anyone in the industry could, yet deep inside him he missed home. Most poignantly, he missed his mother and knowing she wasn’t getting any younger by the time the Covid pandemic was spreading around the world, Lam decided it was time to return to his roots—Vietnam. After a few brief gigs including consulting and returning to the lingerie brand Triumph—as Head of Product Development with 100+ members of staff—Lam finally felt it was time to take his years of experience and spur his own venture into action.
Saigon Concepts was born in 2024. It is an embodiment of everything he’s learned thus far in his career, and a showcase of his evolution as a fashion designer and business leader. When Lam started out in the industry he worked in small teams of four to five people then leveled up working with teams of over one hundred people. Now, he’s back to managing a team of five. This is exactly where he wants to be due to the fact that it allows him to be as close to Saigon Concepts products as possible. For example, a typical day starts with a morning visit to the studio where he checks to see what orders he’s received. He’ll review the client's demands, draw up a design, communicate with Phuong how he wants things cut and sewn, and she'll get to work to help bring that idea to life. As he explained, people expect high-quality delivered quickly and having a small team with a short chain of command equates to the possibility of one-day turnarounds. In between, Lam says he still makes time to explore the fabric markets around the city the same way he did as a young adult, as well as keeping in contact with his sourcing agents across the country. It's a seven-day-a-week gig, but he loves what he does such that the joy of working radiates throughout the studio from morning until evening.
Furthermore, one of the biggest changes Lam wants to captain since building Saigon Concepts is using the brand as a channel to develop Vietnam’s understanding of fashion. On the technical side, he says his home country is top notch, but the mindset in terms of understanding expectations of customers around the world lags behind expertise. Another way he framed it is that the open mindset to try things beyond the norm also needs a revamp. One example is how he wants his team to see people they receive orders from not as customers, but as partners. A customer simply buys your product, but a partner works with you to find solutions together. Equipped with his global expertise, Lam aims to elevate Vietnam’s outlook on fashion.
In fact, Lam’s steadfast in pushing others to test their own ideas before stating that something like a certain type of seaming is not possible. As he says, talking with his hands in the air, “The best way to learn is to do it yourself. Practice, not just theory. Hands-on.” Part of this hands-on approach comes down to offering premeditated solutions. Instead of coming to him with problems to solve, he urges his team to bring forth a list of solutions first and then communicate face-to-face to see what works. It goes back to the same statement he’d make to his team in Hong Kong, “Give me three [solutions]. Maybe the first three are all incorrect, but at least you're thinking about it. And then maybe the second time you got one, or next time you got two, such that you will build up confidence in how to make decisions.” I interjected, “It can make them feel like they have a sense of agency and feel like they can help contribute.” “Yeah, and you can help them create ownership and accountability as well,” Lam concluded. “It can also make them feel valued and value themselves more. So, elevate them. ‘Make your audition!’ This is how you empower others.” Not only does Lam wish to empower the people he partners with, but he also wants to empower the people who wear the clothing he makes for Saigon Concepts.
Saigon Concepts produces clothes for men and women. Visually bold colors and prints designed to bring you joy and lift your mood, no matter the occasion—from brunches, nights out with friends, dinners, holidays, and so on. This vision goes beyond just color-therapy, too. Lam is also thinking about the shape and how it feels on someone’s body. To demonstrate, Lam grabbed a pair of men’s shorts off the rack and explained what he meant in detail. The front is flat to provide a classier look even if you’re out at the pool or walking along the beach. Flipping it around he pointed out the elastic waistband that ensures comfort even if you treat yourself to a few indulgences on your holiday. “If you go out for a beer and burger, it’ll fit, or if you cut out the burgers and beer and lose weight, it’ll still fit. You’ll always feel comfortable.” As someone who knows the value of working hard and putting in long days at the studio, Lam also knows the value of taking a holiday and treating yourself. He wants to feel comfortable in his clothes and wants to engineer his clothes in a creative manner that allows others to feel the same. For women’s apparel, Lam takes things a step further. “I’ve worked in the industry for a long time, from intimate apparel to outerwear, so I understand her needs. My design for women is all about her. She can be slim, curvy, and still look great. She can move and feel comfortable, confident and at ease and look fabulous.”
People are responding to Lam’s intentional choices for Saigon Concepts too. Whether that’s for his use of natural materials, utilizing deadstock fabrics and accessories to crafting clothes that actually feel great to wear and lift your mood. To date, Saigon Concepts is stocked in over 11 luxury resorts and boutiques across Vietnam, including Four Seasons Resort Nam Hai, Tia Wellness, Banyan Tree, and Six Senses. On that note, you can learn more about Lam and Saigon Concepts by discovering them on your next holiday in Vietnam, at one of their pop-up events in Saigon, or stopping by his studio for walk-in shopping and fitting, where Lam and his team will be ready and happy to address your needs.
When I asked about the future plans of Saigon Concepts, Lam exclaimed, “Global domination of course!” He let out a huge laugh and readjusted himself in his seat. On a more serious note, he explained that he wants to expand internationally while using more deadstock and creating less waste. It’s a line of thinking shaped by the creative constraints that have driven him since he was a young designer in Saigon, through his work around the globe, and back to building Saigon Concepts from the ground up. He ended with a rhetorical question to illustrate his point: “Instead of producing more, how about creating from what we already have?”
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