PARIS - Vietnam's Phan Huy, became the youngest-ever designer to present a collection on the official Haute Couture calendar in Paris aged just 27 on Thursday, rounding out a week of major fashion debuts and celebrity sightings.
Phan thrilled the fashion scene at a venue in western Paris, having had a whirlwind rise into the world's most exclusive design club since creating his eponymous label in 2023.
His airy Spring/Summer 2026 collection of evening dresses made abundant use of light muslin and tulle fabric, as well as hand-stitched floral and beaded embellishments, all inspired by Vietnam's former royal Nguyen dynasty.
"I'm very happy and very proud because I can represent and bring the culture and creativity of Vietnam to the world," Phan told AFP earlier this week.
As well as being the youngest, he is the first Vietnamese designer on the programme.
Although Vietnam is well-known as a manufacturing hub for mass-market Western clothes, Phan's business partner Steven Doan stressed that the duo "want to prove that we can do fashion as well".
Phan has been fast-tracked into a field that is becoming increasingly diverse under the impulse of the French fashion federation, FHCM.
The last day of Haute Couture Week included shows by Saudi label Ashi Studio as well as Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, who joined the official schedule for the first time last year.