‘Makeover’ of handicraft product designs

TIN LIÊN QUAN
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Makeover of handicrafts

The production facility of Vu Thanh Liem, Director of Hahanco Manufacturing and Trading Limited Company, in Thuy Ung village, Thuong Tin district, Ha Noi, is one of the few production establishments to have signed a contract to make jewellery with world famous brand Hermes. The bracelets, necklaces and earrings with elegant and beautiful designs and eye-catching colours have surprised visitors.

Even familiar horn combs that were popular in the domestic market have been made with sophisticated, soft and elegant designs according to the requirements of Japanese customers. According to Liem, a comb with a simple design was sold at just tens of thousands of Vietnamese dong in Vietnam but other high-grade products are priced over VND700,000 in Japan. Meanwhile jewellery made by Hahanco for Hermes serve the high-end segment of customers with prices from several millions of Vietnamese dong to over VND10 million.

Handicraft products are made by Viet Quang Bamboo and Rattan Company under orders from Japanese customers. (Photo: NDO)

Viet Quang Bamboo and Rattan Company led by artisan Nguyen Van Tinh in Phu Vinh village, Phu Nghia commune, Chuong My district, Ha Noi, are also making products worth thousands of US dollars under orders from Japanese customers.

However, it is not easy to find designers with high aesthetics on this field, said Vu Thanh Liem. Therefore, most handicraft enterprises and facilities only produce luxury products under the designs from foreign partners.

It is a fact that very few students want to pursue the design of handicrafts. A teacher from Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City said that every year she directed her students’ attention to traditional handicraft products, however, many of them chose to design modern products.

Supporting the design for trade villages

The Hanoi Promotion Agency (HPA) is one of the agencies to have helped trade villages find the way to change designs, contributing to promoting exports and expanding the domestic market, particularly towards the high-end segment of customers. The agency’s Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Mai Anh said: “We realise that enterprises have immense potential but are weak in terms of design. Their highly qualified craftspersons can create highly sophisticated products, meeting the requirements of the most fastidious customers. However, without eye-catching designs, they cannot promote their creation”. The craftspersons from Vu Thanh Liem’s facility have created numerous jewelleries for the Hermes brand that have been sold at prices of thousands of US dollars via the internet.

Lacquer products for exports from Chieu Ha facility, Thuong Tin district, Ha Noi. (Photo: NDO)

At the Vietnamese Regional Specialties Fair – One Village One Product (OVOP) on November 21 at the Vincom Mega Mall Royal City in Ha Noi, enterprises and trade villages showcased their latest products.

According to the HPA’s Deputy Director, the agency had hired foreign experts to design a package of exported products for trade villages. In 2017-2018, the centre continued to support the villages in design, but it was not easy. Representatives from the HPA visited many places, including Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, to learn about new trends of design and 3D technology but it was not easy to invite experts to design, said Deputy Director Mai Anh.

She also noted that, in order to dominate the domestic market and expand exports, it is crucial to promote the design, bringing a high competitiveness for products. “We would like to receive more attention from the Government and local authorities to obtain macro policies to promote the export of handicrafts”, added Mai Anh.

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