"Designed by Vietnam" 2023 contest has been launched to promote the value of Vietnamese products and goods by designing capabilities, towards building the "Designed by Vietnam" brand in the international market.

As part of the Vietnam Design Week 2023, the contest is introduced by the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center, the Vietnam Design Group, and the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts (VICAS).

The fashion designs are created from recycled materials by designer Tran Nhat Anh, winner of Designed by Vietnam Contest 2022. Photo: VICAS

With the theme "Embracing Constraints", this year's contest is open to five design fields: Communication design, Clothing design, Decor & Object design, Living design, and Public design with the support of well-known designers. 

"Embracing Constraints" is a challenge for contestants in the context of the global fuel and raw material crisis, encouraging contestants to be creative in designs and using recycled materials, secondhand items, inventory, defective goods, and discarded items to make full use of materials.

Designer Vu Thao, a member of the advisory board of the Designed by Vietnam 2023 competition, said this is an opportunity to promote creativity and craftsmanship in the design community.

"It helps us appreciate the things around us more and urges designers to find the hidden values of things that seem inanimate at first glance," she said.

In the sub-topic of "Designing Public Toilets at Sword Lake", the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee aims to find new design solutions for three available public toilets, contributing to enhancing Hanoi's image as a "Creative City" recognized by UNESCO.

The Designed by Vietnam 2023 contest is open to all domestic and international participants, who can send their submissions via email to designedbyvietnam@gmail.com by May 31, 2023.

This fashion collection used hand-embroidered techniques on drawn silk fabrics and skipping cotton knitting. Photo: VICAS

The top 30 designs will be announced at the upcoming "Vietnam Design Week 2023" to be held in Hanoi on September 23-29, which gathers talented designers, manufacturers, handicraft villages, and creative entrepreneurs in related fields from home and abroad.

The contest of "Designed by Vietnam Contest 2023" highlights the excellent qualifications of the best design, design innovation, and design concept through the review of the professional jury from international design associations.

Vietnam Design Week is organized annually to promote creative design of professional designers, change society's perception, influence of goods manufacturing industry, and increase competitiveness in the face of challenges in interior design, architecture, furniture and lifestyle, graphic, multimedia, industrial design, and apparel.

Product made from natural materials. Photo: Vietnamdesignweek