Emerging from the depths of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is Aeie Studios’ Spring/Summer 2021 collection titled “UNUSUAL USUAL.” The collection was announced January 10th before being released on their website the 11th.
Upon first look, the contrasting silhouettes and vibrants rope in the viewer, begging them to peer closer. The collection successfully combines current trends such as patchwork, deconstruction, and fur collared jackets with Aeie Studios’ own touches, creating a complex yet refreshing line of garments.
The inspiration for this collection was drawn significantly from 70s Vietnamese pop culture. The glitzy television shows and shimmering music of the era are reflected through the pieces with vivid patterns, prints, and lettering. Two specific garments, the SMTY Sweater and the Dream Dress both mimic visuals from album artwork typography from this time period--distinctively the swirling letters from the cover of Sa Mạc Tình Yêu (Desert of Love) by Thanh Hà. The song and album are an important piece of pop culture for these two pieces from UNUSUAL USUAL, as the name of the SMTY Sweater is an abbreviation of Thanh Hà’s song. Aeie Studios’ designer, Quách Đắc Thắng, imagines the garment to be a physical rendition of the song.
Calvin Klein, Chanel, Alaia, and Chalayan are among the designers that Aeie Studios cites as influences, but the storytelling and nostalgia conveyed through patterns and construction reflects one of the most apparent inspirations for this collection: French icon Jean Paul Gaultier. His garments from the late 80s and 90s act as the muse for many of today’s modern fashion brands, and Aeie Studios is no exception. Like fingerprints on a wine glass, Gaultier’s influence is left all over UNUSUAL USUAL. However, unlike other current brands, Aeie Studios spins Gaultier’s classic screen-print mesh pieces into their own slices of art. Garments such as the sheer Cheetah Dress and Banh Tet Dress reworks Gaultier’s famed pieces into fresh, futuristic pieces that are influenced by, but do not mimic, Gaultier’s infamous mesh print garments.
While other designers have proved to be a primary influence in Aeie’s work, the streets of Ho Chi Minh City are the most notable sources of inspiration. This oasis of culture and vibrancy serves as a common thread in Aeie’s gallery of past collections, tying pieces together seamlessly. Some garments such as the Rose Trousers portray vivid scenery to the viewer. Aeie Studios cites the image of “a Vietnamese construction worker returning home after a work day in long, blue baggy overalls, soaked in the rain during monsoon season” as the driving imagery for this garment.
The continuation of the Aeie Studio’s narrative will be portrayed in their next collection, New Wave. New Wave picks up where UNUSUAL USUAL left off; the glitz and the glam of Vietnamese pop culture still in the forefront of their creative direction. Their current inspiration draws from “photos and documentaries that capture the lifestyle of Saigonese” during the Vietnamese American New Wave music movement. With another music inspired collection, viewers can expect more narrative patterns and eye-catching colors.
Unusual Usual is the perfect bridge between Aeie Studios’ previous collections and their upcoming projects. The fine-tuned mix of vintage inspiration, varied silhouettes, and bursts of color make the collection an eye-catcher among fashion enthusiasts. Aeie's upcoming collection is promising by capitalizing off this combination, and potentially able to catapult the brand into the mainstream spotlight.
