Karen lives and works in the United States, but she wanted to wear an áo dài — the traditional Vietnamese wedding dress — on her wedding day. It was made at the LAM’S studio and sent to her.
Red, with a phoenix beaded by hand
The áo dài is red. The bronze-gold phoenix motif is beaded entirely by hand, running from the collar down the body, out along the panels and onto the sleeves. Because every bead is set by hand, this is the slowest part of the whole garment.
Measured from a distance
LAM’S sent an illustrated measuring guide and then measured together with Karen on a video call to cross-check. Fabric, cut and motif were all agreed in conversation. The pattern was drafted to her measurements alone, and sewn to them, with no allowance left for later alterations.
Sending it to the United States
When it was finished, LAM’S photographed the garment and sent the pictures for Karen to see before it was packed — folded in layers, padded against creasing, wrapped against moisture, with a courier chosen for the route and a tracking number. For brides abroad LAM’S does not take rush orders; the schedule is counted backwards from the wedding day.
Made by one pair of hands
The dress is made by the owner of the studio herself (who sews your dress). When the dress is finished, before it is packed, we photograph it and send you those pictures: the finished dress, not stages of production. If something feels off when you first put it on, it is most often the way the dress is being worn, so we guide you through wearing it correctly first and fine-tune only if it is still needed. It is folded in layers with anti-crease padding, wrapped against moisture and sent with a carrier chosen for that route, with a tracking number.
