Baggage Claim
What began as a T-shirt enterprise that celebrated the character and spirit of the Vietnamese as well as promoting local culture became a stage for local and foreign artists in Vietnam to display their unique creations.
The Ginkgo Concept Store lends some of its space to non-profit organizations such as Maison Chance with their soft toys for children; Mekong Creations with its bamboo bikes; Hanoi-based Tohe which puts artwork of disadvantaged children into useful and colorful products; Viet Artisans’ meticulously designed Vietnam-inspired paper, bags, and wallets; and handicrafts by Friends for Street Children Association that help support the education of some 1,200 children in Ho Chi Minh City.
If you’re looking to accessorize, Bohemian Luxe, by Australian Jude Pratt and Dane Louise Bach Mogensen, offers vintage and trendy necklaces. Pair one with a vintage handbag from Hanoi-based French designer Valerie Cordier’s collection while wearing a handmade dress from Vietnamese designer Linda Mai Phuong.
A few more labels in the concept store are Mekong Belle’s colorful paper products and home accessories, Very Ngon Homewares’ useful home items with Asian inspired hand- prints, and Dame-Clemence’s fragrances. – Lyra Dacio
Ginkgo Concept Store
254 De Tham, D1
Ginkgo T-Shirts
56 Bui Vien, D1 www.ginkgo-vietnam.com
Oi pick
CanvaS Bag (vnd1 million) and TarPaulin Bag (vnd1,200,000). With the unpredictability of the weather in this country, a ginkgo must-have is its latest canvas or tarpaulin bag. it’s both waterproof and reinforced with a tarpaulin bottom, so it’ll keep your belongings safe from the scorching sun or the sudden unforgiving downpours.
