Tailors of Hoi An
Hoi An is a small harbour on Vietnam's eastern coast. Travellers from all over the world come here for its renowned and affordable tailors. In Hoi An, it is easy to encounter a backpacker walking with a worn rucksack in one hand and a bag full of brand-new, custom-tailored suits in the other: travellers enter a shop, select a design from a Western catalogue, and wait for their tailor-made clothes to be finished.
The Viet Xinh family.
Hiiynh Xuan Hiiong is a 20-year-old girl from Tay Hoa, Phu Yen, a small town 300 km south of Hoi An. She came here to help her cousins at the Viet Xinh family shop over the summer. It is a tough life, but it at least gives her the opportunity to learn English. Khiiong Thi Thien (22) works here year-round. She works every day with no day off. The only break she has is during Tet, when all Vietnam stops to celebrate the New Year. Thien gets up every morning at 5 am; she takes a boat from the little island where she lives and arrives in time for the morning opening. Her sister, Dung (24), follows the same routine: she hopes she will be able to save enough money to study in the US one day. The Xinh family is large, with about forty members. They are all tailors. However, the tasks are strictly divided: most of the women take care of the shop, speak with tourists, and sell clothes. The men, instead, stay at home working on fabrics, tailoring suits and dresses ordered in the shop.
(c) Mario Mariniello 2007.
