K-Pop Stars Are Fueling the Rise of Vietnamese Fashion

When Katseye, the viral girl group formed by South Korea’s Hybe (the agency behind BTS) and US-based Geffen Records, made their Coachella debut this year, the five members — Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Yoonchae, and Megan — looked like fairies as they performed hit songs like “Touch”, “Internet Girl” and their latest single “Pinky Up”, wearing surrealist, candy-colored ensembles. Selected by Katie Qian, the Los Angeles-based stylist whose clients also include Tyla and Camila Cabello, the clothes were custom-made by Vietnamese fashion brand La Lune. It’s not the first time that La Lune has been worn by a celebrity or Korean idol; among its fans are also Lisa of Blackpink; Karina, Winter, and Ningning of Aespa; and Pharita of Babymonster. Indeed, La Lune is one of several fashion brands hailing from Vietnam that have captured the hearts of K-pop stars in recent years. Also among those gaining traction is Fanci Club, whose Y2K-inspired ruffled dresses and corset tops have been a hit with all four Blackpink members, Minju of Illit, and singer-slash-actress Chuu. Meanwhile, Cong Tri’s intricate designs have been worn by Lisa and fellow Blackpink member Rosé. And L Soul’s hyper-feminine pieces have been sported by Korean girl groups Twice and Babymonster, as well as Blackpink for its 2025 Deadline world tour, which marked the group’s return after nearly two years of solo activities. Katseye wore custom outfits by the Vietnamese fashion label La Lune for their 2026 Coachella debut. Photo: Courtesy of La Lune As one of the world’s biggest textile and apparel exporters, Vietnam has long been associated with mass production. Its $46 billion manufacturing industry, driven by competitive labor costs and extensive free-trade agreements, supplies global brands like Nike, Zara, and The North Face. And while Vietnam remains a highly lucrative consumer market with young shoppers who embrace high street fashion, a new generation of brands — including Fanci Club , La Lune , and Cong Tri , as well as Gia Studios , Huelley Huelley , and Moi Dien Studio — have been shifting their focus to producing higher-value finished products, some made with artisanal techniques and materials. As a result, their designs are being worn at high-profile events globally. When Aespa wore custom La Lune in 2021 to MBC Gayo Daejejeon , an annual end-of-year South Korean music show, it was a real turning point for the label, says founder Quách Đắc Thắng, better known by the moniker “Vicki Virus”. “At first, my customer was just Vietnamese, but because of social media, and also when Aespa wore my clothes, the brand became more and more known,” Thắng says. Thắng believes the agility of La Lune, along with its bold, experimental silhouettes (for example, its bestselling wide-leg jeans, embroidered with bat wings) has been attractive for K-pop stylists, who often seek eye-catching styles for their clients. The designer also emphasizes La Lune’s versatility and white-glove treatment. “We’re always online and keep discussing until everything’s done. We stay in touch with them every step of the process. Our team always makes things on time and we make everything happen on their schedules.” Minhtu Nguyen wearing a sculptural look by La Lune. Photo: Courtesy of La Lune Duy Tran shares a similar “defining moment”. He founded Fanci Club in late 2018, originally reselling vintage pieces, but pivoted to designing his own clothes after struggling to find styles that didn’t feel damaged or dated, he says. Fanci Club’s first celebrity client, around 2020, was Blackpink. When the group’s stylist, Park Min-hee, reached out with a last-minute request, Tran seized the opportunity. “We personally designed and made pieces for them overnight, so it could be shipped the next day,” he explains. Today, only 30% of sales come from Vietnam, Tran says, noting that around 20% come from the rest of Asia, 20% from Australia, and the remainder is global. Support for Vietnam’s fashion brands is now extending beyond Asian celebrities, with Western stars showing enthusiasm, too. Chase Infiniti, Keke Palmer, and Meryl Streep are among those who have recently worn Cong Tri on the red carpet. Meanwhile, Fanci Club counts Olivia Rodrigo, Rosalía, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, and Bella Hadid among its international fanbase. Chase Infiniti wearing a design by Vietnamese designer Cong Tri to a Disney event earlier this year. Photo: Getty Images Reshaping national identity Vietnam’s economy is surging. The country achieved 53 consecutive months of positive GDP growth from December 2021 to April 2026, according to real estate firm Savills, with the highest increase reported in the Asia-Pacific region. With this economic growth, a vibrant, digitally connected youth culture has also emerged, and they’re vastly different from previous generations. Vietnam’s post-war youth — largely born after 1975 — make up over 60% of the country’s population, and are actively aware of global trends and influences, like K-pop and Western fashion, while taking deep pride in their domestic roots. This cultural boom has led to the rise of homegrown fashion labels, whose designers are leveraging local production and social media to create brands that resonate globally. “Before all of these changes, Vietnam was not really viewed as a fashion destination. People think of it as a place that manufactures rather than designs, so the conversation was more about where your clothes were made, and not who was designing them,” says Cece Vu, an LA-based content creator and marketing specialist, who was born in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnamese youth are reshaping the country’s economic and cultural identity, agrees Gia Kuan, a New York-based publicist, whose namesake firm began working with Fanci Club about three months ago. Despite having a limited physical presence in the US, “they’ve done exceptionally well and already have a huge following”, she says. The rise of Vietnam’s fashion labels can be linked, in part, to K-pop’s transformation from a niche subculture into a dominant mainstream force, drawing international eyeballs to the East. Earlier this year, “Golden” from Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters made history by winning Best Original Song at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Meanwhile, Grammy organizer, the Recording Academy, has just introduced a dedicated category for Best Asian Pop Music Performance. Increasingly, members who are part of K-pop groups aren’t ethnically Korean either, Kuan says; Hanni of NewJeans, Hanbin of Tempest, and Nien of TripleS, for example, are all Vietnamese. “K-pop is no longer exclusive to Korean stars and the members really are from everywhere,” says Kuan. And when they choose to wear a Vietnamese fashion brand, that representation goes a long way. A unique heritage The recent success of Vietnam’s fashion brands is not just linked to the K-pop boom. While Vietnamese fashion is not as avant garde or polished as that of Japan or South Korea, nor do they share the same pragmatic attitudes as Hong Kong or Singapore, their approach is more raw, playful, and unpretentious. That may align with the attitudes of Gen Z and younger audiences, who are fatigued by hyper-curated perfection and instead embrace lo-fi authenticity, genuine emotion, and the beautiful messiness of everyday life. Being based in a country with a robust manufacturing industry is also favorable for profit margins. “It’s definitely a big advantage for us to produce everything internally, and in Vietnam,” says Fanci Club’s Tran. “It also allows us to ensure quality control with each piece and produce in small batches.” Many young shoppers are buying into Vietnamese fashion on vacation, as they seek smaller, more ethical labels. Today, there are countless TikTok videos of visitors sharing their favorite hidden gems and shopping hauls across Vietnamese cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Frequently among them is Fanci Club, which opened its first physical flagship store in 2024. “Before that, we only sold through our website. But we thought that if people could only see our designs through images, it might be hard for them to understand the value of the pieces,” say Tran. The boutique, he believes, offers a more complete experience. “I also think that people around the world are becoming much more open to discovering new voices and brands.” Fanci Club's Resort 2026 collection features its signature ultra-feminine pieces. Photo: Courtesy of Fanci Club Ultimately, Tran hopes more people globally will come to “see Vietnam differently — not just as a place that produces clothes, but as a place that creates ideas and craft,” he says. “One of Vietnam’s greatest strengths is its rich tradition of craftsmanship and manufacturing expertise. I feel like we have only just begun to explore the creative potential of that within contemporary fashion.” Vu agrees, adding that Vietnam’s wedding industry also has “huge potential”, and as a bride-to-be, one that she has started paying closer attention to. Beyond local craftsmanship, there is “strong hospitality”, she says. “I think that’s what really brings people to Southeast Asia — that warm welcome.” Vu also points to rising names like Phan Huy, who in January 2026 became the first Vietnamese couturier — and the youngest designer — to present on the official Paris Haute Couture schedule. “It’s a huge milestone for Vietnamese fashion,” she says, and one she hopes to see more of on a global stage. Already, at Paris Couture week, homegrown Asian designers like Robert Wun and Miss Sohee have been making their mark. Perhaps, she says, we’ll start to see even more.