Delving through the racks at Metiseko shouldn’t be a quick browsing experience. As the company’s tagline states: ‘It’s a journey.’
And it’s a pretty exciting one at that.
French founders Erwan and Florence set up Metiseko in 2011, wanting to create high-end products with a ‘Made in Vietnam’ identity. Today, everything in the shop – from stylish dresses to elegant scarves to oh-so-pretty fans – tells a story of this magical country, with evocative names like ‘bluebird in summer’ or ‘a thousand lights’.
Based in Hoi An, with another branch in Ho Chi Minh, Metiseko incorporates Vietnamese legends and landscapes into each hand screen-printed design. It manages to blend the traditional with the contemporary; drawing inspiration from paintings, architecture, plants and ceramics while paying heed to international style trends.
The result? A souvenir from Vietnam that’s totally accessible and wearable back home. Good news all round.
Summery Colors, Floaty Prints
With fresh, summery colors, floaty prints and silk so beautiful it’d make you weep (don’t do it near the silk though), Metiseko is in a league of its own. Even the staff members look like models.
But beauty, as they say, is skin deep. What makes this brand extra-special is its ethical identity.
Metiseko is true to its name – ‘metis’ is from the French word ‘metissage’, or ‘cultural mix’; ‘eko’ represents the company’s organic ethos. And it’s true to its nature, too. The founders wanted to show that a small brand can be 100% sustainable and, despite its growing success, it remains firmly cemented in these ethical foundations.
All products are designed and produced locally, either using quality Vietnamese silk or organic, high-thread-count cotton (responsibly sourced from southern India).
High Quality in Every Regard
Metiseko controls every step of the supply chain; from cultivating or sourcing materials to weaving, printing, dyeing and manufacturing the finished product at its atelier in Hoi An. What’s more, the organic cotton garments are completely AZO (acid)-free, so they are not harmful for the skin. Bonus.
The brand’s environmental efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. It recently won a Sustainable Development Award and is now one of the rare, officially certified organic clothing companies in Vietnam.
Need more proof of its good-guy status? Well, Metiseko guarantees fair working conditions, pay and training for all employees, plus medical insurance and even free English or French lessons!
While its prices would normally be out of my league, these qualities would encourage me to splash out. The clothes are exquisite, the originality evident, the service great and the social responsibility pretty damn admirable.
My advice? Save the market cheapie and bring a stylish, quality piece of Vietnam home with you instead.
Photos courtesy of Metiseko
