From clan to clan and village to village the style and colour of Vietnams ethnic minority groups showcase a vibrant and fascinating culture of textile traditions. One of the largest and most diverse of these groups is that of the Hmong. From the sedate indigo garb of the Black Hmong of Sapa to the explosive colour of the Flower Hmong around Lao Cai each has adopted a unique costume and identity. Here are just some of the beautiful Hmong I've encountered on my travels through Northern Vietnam. ![]() if you are in Sapa around the New Year you can see the Black Hmong from around the district celebrate the Spring Festival - where thousands gather in their full traditional costume for a day of traditional games and rituals. Whilst most women wear their tradtional clothing all the time - this festival is an opportunity to also see the men and boys all decked out.
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One of the largest and most diverse of the ethnic minority groups of Vietnam is the Dao (pronounced “Zao”) who settled in the northern border region of Vietnam after leaving China in the 12th and 13th centuries. Like many of the ethnic minority group clans the different Dao clans are often named after the style and colour of their clothing, and even today its not uncommon to see Dao women in full traditional clothing as they go about their day. Dao women's outfits are always made of dark indigo trousers and jackets but the degree of decoration and their different headwear and hairstyles is how you can tell the difference between the clans. Here is a collection of photos taken of some of the beautiful Dao women I've met on my travels. ![]() This beautiful woman is part of the Black Dao clan that live in the area west of Sapa. Unlike their Dao neighbours in Sapa they do not decorate their clothing with embroidery - but always wear a colourful bib of bright pink ribbons, a belt with pink tassels and a distinctive coiled headdress with a silver ornament on top. When she goes to market she usually covers the headdress in a black scarf. Today many of the women only wear their turbans in the winter time - but its not uncommon to see the older women wearing them at all times of the year. I had seen these beautiful Black Dao women at a number of markets - I thought they'd just forgot their hats! But it turns out that their clan of Dao pride themselves on their beautiful hairstyles - and treat their hair with pig fat to make it pliable and shiny!
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AuthorI started running my textile focussed tours back in 2007. Over the years I've seen some of the most gorgeous textiles made by the most gorgeous women. This blog is a reflection on some of these Archives
April 2017
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