LA-based online retailer Astoud made its New York Fashion Week debut with a five-day pop-up event in Brooklyn’s trendy Bushwick neighbourhood last month. The event showcased the vibrant world of emerging Vietnamese designers and streetwear brands, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary fashion.Throughout the week, the pop-up became a hub for cultural exchange. From Vietnamese coffee tastings to Mahjong sessions, and from influencer meet-and-greets to live music performances, the event created a space where fashion enthusiasts could immerse themselves in Vietnamese culture. Astoud’s executive director Manh Nguyen speaks about Astoud’s story and its ambition to bring Vietnamese fashion designs to global markets.Inside Retail: Can you share the story behind Astoud’s founding? What unique challenges and opportunities did the company face when launching during the pandemic?Manh Nguyen: Astoud was founded at the tail end of 2020 when we saw the worst of it all. The pandemic was a wake-up call for Vietnamese designers to expand their markets. I was connected with multiple designers at the time, and seeing first-hand how talented these designers were, I was inspired to create a global platform to connect designers with these new markets.Launching a business during the pandemic was a major logistical challenge. In retail, we all know that late deliveries are nightmares – we were up against global supply chain disruptions while trying to ensure orders arrived in time to meet our customers’ demands. Custom orders demanded creativity and flexibility. The pandemic pushed us to focus on our digital solutions, which ultimately helped us grow quickly online despite challenges.In fact, having our start at this time also gave us some advantages. Because we had our beginnings during such a turbulent time, we have always believed in the vision and the products completely. We were doing something new at the time: selling all Vietnamese-designed and made-in-Vietnam clothing and accessories made us the first in the market. This gave us the time and experience to navigate the business while building community and trust.IR: How does Astoud’s business model differ from traditional fashion retailers?MN: Astoud exclusively curates and represents independent Vietnamese designers, providing them a platform to reach a global audience. Unlike traditional retailers, we focus on engagement and culture, blending fashion with experiences through our events and community activations.IR: What is your process for selecting and onboarding Vietnamese designers for your platform?MN: We focus on identifying designers with a unique voice and strong craftsmanship to curate the designers and their art. Our curators carefully review their collections and creative vision to ensure they align with Astoud’s values of creativity and quality. We also support them through the onboarding process, helping them navigate the global market.IR: What strategies are you using to build brand awareness in the US market?MN: Our pop-up events and parties are a key part of building awareness, connecting with our Vietnamese community and their friends, which helps us grow. We’ve established a strong presence in LA and are now expanding to New York and other cities. Alongside events, we connect with our shoppers online, through social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and digital initiatives. These efforts help us maintain a consistent connection with a broader audience and increase visibility beyond our in-person events. By blending online and offline strategies, we’re able to reach diverse communities and engage them with Vietnamese fashion.IR: How do you plan to expand Astoud’s presence in the US beyond pop-up events?MN: Pop-up events are where we connect with our real and potential customers and other community builders. But our main focus has always been our e-commerce site. Most of our pop-up traffic comes from our online presence and retail reputation. We’ve always been improving and updating our customer service, UX/UI, marketing, etc. based on customer feedback. The plan is to stay thoughtful and open to accommodating our customers online and offline. That’s the hospitality of a Vietnamese.IR: In what ways do you see Astoud influencing the international perception of Vietnamese fashion?MN: Over five years ago, Vietnamese fashion was largely overlooked, but that’s changing. With Astoud, we’re showcasing the incredible talent of Vietnamese designers, proving that Vietnam offers innovative and striking fashion. We’re seeing not just Vietnamese but also American, European, and Japanese customers embracing these designs.Astoud is the first Viet-focused retailer, so it’s hard to compare it with anything like it. But as the first and the highest-rated Vietnamese online retailer out there on the market right now, Astoud is confident in not just influencing the fashion industry within North America but also worldwide. This is reflected in our online sales destinations in East Asia and Europe. The model is new and attractive to newcomers. As we see many other retailers come and go, we truly believe that our mission of popularising the Vietnamese design language has been noticed and changed the perception of Vietnamese fashion for many.IR: How effective have your collaborations with influencers been?MN: Our partnerships with influencers have been an incredible way to grow familiarity with our brand and foster a sense of community. When influencers introduce us to their communities, it helps spread the word about how unique and stylish Vietnamese fashion is, introducing it to a wider and more diverse audience.IR: What are Astoud’s goals for the next few years?MN: The next few years are for cementing our place in the customer’s heart. If you’re Viet, you must know Astoud. We aim to perfect our customer service online and offline and bring new Viet talents to global exposure. The younger Vietnamese generation is yearning to connect with proud and talented representatives – Astoud can help them reach and be a part of that community. Fashion is a tool for a community-building platform like us, to connect and inspire.