Nón Việt – Chạm Sắc | One hat, one story

THE STORY

One hat. Three crafts.

Every Chuông hat takes at least five hours of hand-stitching over 16 bamboo rings, yet it remains fragile in sun and rain and hard for travellers to carry home. Chạm Sắc finds the answer in three Hanoi craft villages: lacquer for durability, silk for beauty, and a miniature edition to travel anywhere.

Read the full story

5+: hours of hand-stitching for every Chuông hat
16: bamboo rings that make the brim strong yet supple
4.000 → 1.000: households still making hats in Chuông village

01 — Chuông village

Conical hat

Sun-bleached palm leaves, bamboo rings, and perfectly even stitches that hide every joint.

02 — Vạn Phúc

Mulberry silk

A two-in-one silk strap: untie it and it becomes a scarf or a headband.

03 — Hạ Thái

Lacquer

Natural lacquer, silver leaf and eggshell — a waterproof armour that makes every hat one of a kind.

OUR MISSION

Women and girls of the craft village come first — we teach painting skills and build sustainable livelihoods from the skilful hands of Chuông villagers.

Natural materials · Recyclable packaging · Working alongside artisans of three craft villages

Preserve

Heritage is only kept when it lives on in everyday life — and when the craft can support the people who practise it.

Innovate

Bring the hat to young people and international visitors: a fashion accessory, an artwork, a gift with a story.

Empower

Equip the women and girls of Chuông village with painting, experience-tourism and communication skills for a sustainable livelihood at home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mai Khánh Chi

Grade 12 student · Project founder

I started Nón Việt – Chạm Sắc with a simple question: how can my generation see that the conical hat is anything but old-fashioned? Growing up with the image of my grandmother’s and mother’s hats, I wanted to retell that story the way young people would — keeping its tradition while feeling close to Gen Z and to friends around the world. The project is where I learn to organise activities, work in a team and share my love of Vietnamese culture.