I was lucky enough to be in Vietnam this summer for three weeks. Not only was it an incredible adventure and country to visit and travel around, it was also a great opportunity to see some of the local brands the country had to offer.
I hadn’t realised before travelling to Vietnam that it’s the second largest producer of coffee in the world. It becomes blatantly obvious once there, just how much coffee culture is a part of everyday life for the Vietnamese, there’s SO many coffee shops all over the country. It’s a good job I like coffee as I fell in love with some of their more unique coffee shops and coffees (lots of ice, coconut, condensed milk and egg variations on offer). One of my favourite coffee brands was Mr.Viet.
Mr. Viet
Love the coffee, branding, typography, logo and especially the packaging.
Tired City
TiredCity acts as a bridge between local artists and customers through building an artist community, which designs, manufactures and distributes creative products both for domestic and international clients. They support many artists, sell hundreds of artworks and products and have a vibrant creative members network. We came across one of the many stores in Hanoi and bought a few of the enamel pin badges depicting some of the local city traditions and landmarks.
Just a few of the many beautiful enamel badges on offer depicting life in Hanoi.
Ginkgo t-shirts
Ginkgo make beautiful quality t-shirts, with a passion and attention to graphics inspired from Asian culture. Alluring screen prints, mixed with embroidery and clever designs make these a stand out from the more usual cheap tourist, souvenir kind.
Kha Liêm
I first saw Kha Liêm’s work in a Mama Pho restaurant, Ho Chi Minh and absolutely fell in love with his graphical style of illustration and use of bold colour.
Bandido
Ah, this was a great discovery in Ho Chi Minh City. Bandido, what a fab tacos restaurant. I know, well, when you need a break from all this fantastic Vietnamese food, then why not go for some of the best Mexican food in Saigon.
You can find the restaurant down a small alley and up a couple of flights of stairs. It’s then the magic happens, the vibrant South American colours, the branding and incredible staff all work their tequila magic to bring a small slice of South America to Asia. Love it!
The Shortbread Shed 