Sixteen years ago, Khanh Nguyen and her family moved from Vietnam to begin a new life in the United States. They “literally had to leave everything behind”, according to Khanh, including her mother’s successful bridal design business. Fashion was generational for Khanh’s family, beginning with her grandparent’s business in Vietnam, and Khanh grew up watching her mom and aunts design dresses and gowns for all of the “fashionable women in town”, as she remembers it. Infused with a love for fashion from her mother, and the artistic influences of her father, Khanh began sketching and constructing designs for her dolls at the very young age of 5, and has never looked back.

 

Amongst other impressive accolades, Khanh won the Top Achievement Award at the Career Day Design Competition, resulting with a scholarship in the glamorous couture city of Paris. There, Khanh studied every aspect of the elite fashion world, such as the late Madame Gres’ technique of French haute couture sewing, fashion show coordination from designer Elie Saab and marketing from Christian Dior’s marketing director. Most importantly, Khanh discovered her own unique capabilities.“I learned the courage to be creative and step outside of [my] own comfort zone. That’s the one thing that no one can take away from me. I became more confident in my work and started to push the envelope”, she says.

 

Her childhood dream has turned into a thriving career with her fashion label “Nha Khanh”. Her focus centers on evening wear influenced by art, modern architecture and most significantly, nature, which she sees as everlasting and organic. "Khanh", a typically male name in Vietnamese, means success and victory, while "Nha" is a feminine word implying light and delightful. “The concept of opposites attract is simple and creates a balance of unison. The words fused together allow both worlds to collide, leaving behind the perfect semblance of harmony. That is the foundation for the Nha Khanh label”, she explains. Khanh’s intricately detailed and creative work not only sets her apart from other designers, but also enables her to give back to the community, a concept she holds in high regard. Due to her persistence and dedication, not everything was left behind sixteen years ago in Vietnam, as the fashion label Nha Khanh continues to represent her mother’s legacy, her native country and her own love for fashion to America in the present day.

 

Nha Khanh currently offers exclusive custom-made evening wear services but will be debuting a ready-to-wear line, including casual to formal dresses and separates in Fall 2010. Eventually, Khanh would also love to integrate bridal design into her label.