PHAN HUY unveils its Spring Summer 2026 Couture collection, titled Cành Vàng Lá Ngọc, as its first official presentation on the Paris Haute Couture Week calendar. Founded in 2023 by creative director Phan Huy and stylist Steven Doan, the house enters this season with a collection that defines a new phase in its development. The presentation signals the brand’s arrival within the formal framework of Paris couture while maintaining a focus on cultural reference and refined execution rooted in Vietnamese history.
COUTURE COLLECTIONS
The title “Cành Vàng Lá Ngọc,” translated as The Golden Branch and Jade Leaf or Born of Gold and Jade, draws from a rare category of ornamental floral objects created by ancient Vietnamese artisans. These works feature branches cast from solid gold paired with leaves carved from jade. Only three of these objects remain preserved today in Huế. The collection draws visual and conceptual reference from these artifacts, using their structure and symbolism as a guiding framework for silhouettes, surfaces, and material choices.
Within Vietnamese cultural tradition, the phrase “Cành Vàng Lá Ngọc” carries layered meaning. It describes individuals of noble lineage, associated with refinement, status, and cultivated presence. The collection adopts this association as its conceptual foundation. Garments reflect this symbolism through proportions, sculptural forms, and surface work that echoes the ornamental logic of gold-and-jade creations.
Phan Huy looks to figures from the Nguyễn dynasty as historical reference points. Crown Prince Bảo Long, Empress Nam Phương, and Emperor Khải Định represent a period when imperial Vietnamese culture engaged with Western influence. Their era introduced new visual codes, social rituals, and aesthetic values shaped by both local tradition and external contact. The collection interprets this historical moment through couture techniques, structured tailoring, and detailed handwork that translate ceremonial codes into contemporary form.
Each look in the Spring Summer 2026 Couture collection functions as an object conceived for longevity and transmission. Rare textiles, dense embroidery, and sculptural construction recall the permanence and care associated with imperial objects. The designs reflect a balance between historical reference and forward-looking form, resulting in garments that project authority, elegance, and composure while remaining rooted in cultural memory.
