Sharon Nguyen: Creating through connection
Project REBORN75 explores the relationship between fashion design, historical trauma, and cultural identity through a collection inspired by the Vietnam War. Combining military aesthetics, anti-war symbolism, and themes of post-war recovery, the collection reflects the contrast between destruction and resilience while using fashion as a form of social commentary.
The project is deeply influenced by Sharon’s personal family history and stories shared by her grandparents, who experienced bombings, devastated cities, and the loss of countless lives during the war. These memories form the emotional foundation of the collection.
Through experimental pattern making, structured silhouettes, and the contrast of rigid forms with soft materials, Sharon communicates the impact of conflict and the process of healing. Military-inspired elements symbolise the realities of war, while softer fabrics represent hope, vulnerability, and renewal. REBORN75 pays tribute to Vietnam’s journey from devastation to recovery, transforming historical memory into contemporary fashion that connects the past, present, and future.
Sharon graduated last year with a Bachelor of Design (Honours). Her interest in fashion began in childhood, when she would spend time drawing dresses and imagining what she might create.
“I’ve always had a passion for fashion. It was the only thing I could imagine myself doing and enjoying for the rest of my life.”
A visit to Massey University while she was at high school confirmed that design was the path she wanted to pursue. Although Sharon began her degree without experience in sewing or pattern-making, the practical structure of the degree allowed her to build her skills gradually. She began with machinery and construction before developing her own approach to designing.
“By the time I got to fourth year, I was able to do everything by myself. It was a good series of steps to get there.”
Sharon was born in Aotearoa to Vietnamese parents. She lived in Vietnam between the ages of seven and 14. That time helped her build a strong and lasting connection to her culture, language and heritage.
Her family became an important source of knowledge during the development of her graduate collection. Conversations with her father, who has a strong interest in history, and the experiences shared by her grandparents allowed Sharon to understand her heritage from new perspectives.
“I was able to learn so much through the collection and get to know my roots better,” she says.
Her friends and classmates also provided essential support. Long nights at university were shared with people facing the same pressure; everyone helped one another through the demands of their final projects.
Now living in Perth, Sharon travelled back to New Zealand to present her work at New Zealand Fashion Week.
“First-year me wouldn’t have thought that I’d be here. When do you ever get the chance to do this?”