Starting a business at an older age may lack the youthful sensitivity to capture new fashion trends or apply modern marketing techniques to the business process. However, in return, Ms Doan Bich Hong, residing in Hai Chau 1 Ward, Hai Chau District,  possesses maturity, composure, and caution with deep and insightful perspectives on art and customer psychology, enabling her to determine the right direction.

KV&W’s products are favoured by many people due to their uniqueness. Photo: K.H

Injecting elegance into each product

In 2015, when she started making the first fashion handbags from imported European leather, Ms Doan Bich Hong, the owner of the handmade bag brand KV&W, never imagined that the handbags and clutches produced by her family workshop would have such great appeal.

Each product receives positive feedback from an increasing number of customers, while the designs and quality of the products are constantly refined and changed to meet the diverse needs of each customer segment.

After 6 years in the market, KV&W's fashion handbags and clutches have established their position and clearly defined their distinctiveness, creativity, and focus on the customers seeking unique products to enhance their own beauty.

Previously, Mrs Hong's family had lived in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province for a considerable period so most accessories and jewellery of the family members were associated with leather materials, which were widely sold on the famous tourist streets.

However, the majority of these products were mass-produced without brands, labels, unique designs, or durability. Starting her entrepreneurial journey at retirement age after a long career in journalism, Mrs Hong established a fashion production workshop based on the idea of using leather materials originating from the family members' preference for leather products.

The first products were initially made as gifts for beloved friends who were business people and office workers. Thanks to the enthusiastic reception and encouragement from friends, Mrs Hong made the decision to produce high-quality products to bring to the market and pursue it seriously.

Not just limited to dexterity

Starting up at an age that is no longer young may lack the sensitivity to grasp new fashion trends or apply modern marketing techniques to the business process. However, in return, Mrs Hong possesses maturity, composure, and caution with deep and insightful perspectives on art and customer psychology, enabling her to determine the right direction.

Therefore, KV&W's handbags and clutches not only have high practicality but also have depth in art because, as Mrs Hong shared, behind each product is a story of the gestation process of ideas embedded by the creator.

Each product is unique not only in different sizes and functions but the most important difference lies in the leather dyeing and colour blending. Each item is never the same, and no design resembles another. It could be a handbag or a complete set of a handbag and clutch with vibrant yellow colour, adding radiance to the user, or a different model with emerald green, highlighting elegance and sophistication, or a classic dark brown colour that exudes a sense of subtle.

Mrs Hong, as a newcomer in the fashion industry, acknowledges her limited experience and lack of extensive reference to other fashion products. She relies on her own creative ideas rather than mimicking others. This 100% handmade fashion profession goes beyond manual dexterity and emphasizes the aesthetic skills of each individual.

Fortunately, her customers mostly have unique personalities, a sense of style, and appreciate simplicity, creating a harmonious connection. During the usage process, customers also serve as models to promote her products and provide valuable feedback for further improvement, allowing her to unleash her creativity.

Starting a business in the fashion industry is already challenging, and targeting demanding customers such as entrepreneurs and government officials adds to the difficulty. KV&W handbags and clutches strive for exquisite craftsmanship in every stitch and elevate the level of aesthetics and artistry through colour combinations. On average, Mrs Hong's family workshop produces 15 new designs each year, with hundreds of popular products favoured by a large customer base.

To maintain the brand identity of her products, Mrs Hong consistently refuses to compromise on quality. Given the strict filtering process of the market, handmade items can only establish a strong presence and win over discerning customers by pursuing sophistication rather than rudimentary approaches. This long-term direction has been set for KV&W fashion products in the foreseeable future.

Reporting by KHANH HOA- Translating by T.VY