New generation of ecommerce startups are helping Vietnamese artisans

Image: GKTA Group Ltd.

In 2009, two years after Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), Fashion4Freedom (F4F) was founded by Vietnamese-American LanVy Nguyen to create a socially responsible supply chain for fashion products while at the same time preserving local craft traditions in Vietnam.

Less than six years later, the enterprise has fully established an ethical and scalable model for producing hand-crafted luxury goods—the first in Vietnam. Today, its has full production services, an artisan line, and a market incubator all of which, according to the F4F website, impact “100 villages, co-ops, and workshops.”

F4F was a pioneer for creating a positive impact in the local Vietnamese crafts industry, but now a new wave of Vietnam-based startups is providing on-demand clothing and fashion accessories that fit the unique styles, latest trends, and body forms of customers around the world.

The foreign founders of these startups have chosen to innovate in Vietnam, they are focused on gaining traction, and they have the leather, fashion, and jewelry industries in their sights, eager to disrupt them. And more importantly, they have prioritized creating an ethical and fair business model for their local artisanal partners while considering environmental impacts.

It’s a whole new world for ecommerce in Vietnam.

By Own

Founder of By Own, Jessica Hilston. Photo: Huynh Quang Man

First up is By Own, which sells custom handmade leather goods online. According to Vietnam’s General Statistics Office (GSO), in 2013 there was approximately US$7.8 billion worth of gross output for the manufacture of leather and related products. Founder Jessica Hilston, a Vietnamese-Australian who grew up in Perth, Western Australia and is currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, first came up with the concept for By Own last summer.

According to Jessica, “I’ve dreamed of starting my own business for a long time, but the fear of failing has kept me from taking that giant leap from an employee to entrepreneur.” Ultimately, her time spent in Berlin’s startup scene during last winter inspired her to follow her passion all the way back to Vietnam.

Earlier this year, Hilston traveled throughout Vietnam to meet with craftsmen in order to find the right local artisans to fulfill future orders. She plans to deliver all finished products to customers within 21 days with free shipping worldwide via a three-step ordering process on the By Own website.

“There is a tangible energy throughout the startup scene in Saigon, and there’s a real sense that things are just about to take off,” says Jessica.

By Own officially began accepting pre-orders in September; already, the startup has received orders from Australia with plans to fulfill them later this month. For now, Hilston is working on releasing the remainder of her first collection and then will focus on launching Leather by Own for Men this Christmas.

Efaisto

Jewelise