Vietnamese fashion designer featured on Forbes ‘30 Under 30 Asia’ list

Fashion designer Phan Dang Hoang. Photo from Hoang's Facebook

Announcing the list on Thursday, Forbes wrote in Hoang’s introduction: "Phan Dang Hoang is a Vietnamese fashion designer who graduated from La Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan in 2022."

"Returning to Vietnam, Hoang launched a label under his own name which was showcased at Milan Fashion Week," it added.

Hoang expressed his excitement about the recognition. After being notified of his nomination in March, he prepared and submitted his application to the organizing committee for evaluation.

"For the past two months, I had been waiting anxiously for the result," said Hoang. "I burst with emotions after knowing the results because this is truly a dream. This is a great motivation for me to take the next steps on my career path."

Earlier this year, Hoang introduced his collection "Sonder," inspired by Vietnamese painter Le Thi Luu’s silk paintings, at Milan Fashion Week.

His fashion style has long combined Asian and Western influences. He aims to convey the image of resilient and brave Vietnamese women with their own unique style. Many of Hoang’s designs have been featured in international magazines, with color play being one of his strengths.

Fashion designer Phan Dang Hoang is working backstage for his first collection of 2024. Photo courtesy of Hoang

In the Arts category, Forbes also honored other outstanding individuals, including Indian photographer Taha Ahmad, Chinese artist Yuan Fang, and Japanese musician Rio Saito.

Forbes’ "30 Under 30" lists were shortlisted based on nominations from the public and media before being finalized by two panels of judges, who are acclaimed experts, businessmen, reporters, and editors.

Besides Hoang, three other Vietnamese people were featured on the list this year. YouTuber Dong Van Hung, owner of the "Am Thuc Me Lam" (My Mother’s Cooking) channel with over 1 million subscribers, was included under the Media, Marketing & Advertising category.

Pham Tuan Huy, a mathematics researcher at Stanford University in the U.S., made it to the list under the Healthcare & Science category.

Tran Tuan Minh, co-founder and chair of UpYouth—a non-profit organization supporting student entrepreneurs in Vietnam—and assistant to the global deputy CEO at VinFast, was listed under the Social Impact category.

Hoang received a talent scholarship during his time at the La Nouva Accademia Di Belle Arti (NABA) and graduated with distinction. According to the Business of Fashion, NABA has been voted as one of the 20 most prestigious fashion design schools in the world.

He has introduced several collections such as "A Dose of Joy" inspired by children’s folk games, "Quintessence," and "La Peinture" (The Painting). Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and English supermodel Naomi Campbell attended the presentation show for "Quintessence," which was held in Italy in September 2021.