Critical Fashion Studies Podcast · Critical Fashion Studies Research Group

Bonus Episode: Cross-Cultural Exchange with Môi Điên’s Tom Trandt

·27 min·2 clips

Tom Tran left his luxury fashion job after finding animal hide piled on his desk, sparking his sustainable brand.

This bonus episode of the Critical Fashion Studies podcast features host Dr. Harriet Richards interviewing Tom Tran, founder of the Saigon-based label Môi Đi. Tom discusses his sustainable, ungendered design practice and his participation in the RMIT-led cross-cultural exchange project, De Do, here, there. Tom launched Môi Đi in 2016 after leaving a luxury womenswear job in New York over ethical concerns about animal hides. His brand uses production waste as the starting point for each collection, leveraging Vietnam's position as a manufacturing hub to source diverse materials. A signature design called "Ổn" was inspired by the tangled electricity wires of Vietnamese streets and crafted by a seamstress interpreting a photograph. For the De Do project, Tom was paired with mentors: Thuỷ Nguyễn of Kilomet 109 in Vietnam and James Bartle of denim brand Outland in Australia. A key challenge he describes is convincing local housewives, rather than large factories, to produce his small-batch, complex designs. Tom reveals his brand must navigate dual pricing strategies to remain competitive in Vietnam while meeting international wholesale price points. He explains that many independent Vietnamese designers operate inconsistently, skipping seasons, which poses a challenge for global expansion. The project's most surprising outcome for him was how Melbourne's colorful architecture and youthful street style reshaped his perspective beyond traditional fashion capitals like New York and Paris. He plans to present Môi Đi at Paris Fashion Week in February 2024 through a gallery owned by a Vietnamese entrepreneur. The conversation highlights Tom's collaborative process, where seamstresses act as co-creators translating concepts into garments. He aims for Môi Đi to become a top-five Vietnamese brand known for cultural experimentation and evoking national pride. The episode frames the De Do project as an evolving, organic initiative fostering economic and knowledge exchange between Australian and Vietnamese creatives. The tone is conversational and educational, structured as an interview exploring design philosophy and industry challenges. The style is insightful, focusing on the practical realities of building a sustainable fashion brand across cultures. Listeners interested in sustainable fashion, cross-cultural creative exchange, and the realities of the Asian design landscape would enjoy this episode. Those seeking highly produced narrative storytelling or debates on fashion theory might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A clear look at cross-cultural fashion exchange, production, and the practical work of building a label.

This bonus episode puts Australia-Vietnam fashion links at the center, with Harriet Richards speaking to Tom Tran of Mo Dien Studio in Saigon.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A grounded fashion chat about Australia-Vietnam links and how clothes actually get made.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Critical Fashion Studies Podcast