Man infuses fresh spirit into Ha Dong silk

Everyone in the famous Van Phuc silk village knows Do Van Hien, the only person who can create fine patterns for silk in a short time.

Hien is Vice Chairman of the Van Phuc Silk Cooperative, and is called the man who infuses fresh spirit into silk.

Hien’s job is closely linked to computers. He is the sole man in Van Phuc village who can use graphic software to design patterns on silk. Hien said the most useful software is Corel Draw; he said it has helped him create a “revolution” in designing silk patterns.

In the past, to create a pattern, designers had to work on thousands of squares on hundreds of cardboard pieces. Each square is equivalent to a detail. Normally, designers spent more than two weeks in this process. To have a complete design, artists had to work over one more week with manual machines.

By using Corel Draw, Hien can make a new pattern in just 3 days, compared to over 20 days in the past. Moreover, he can freely release his creativeness.

Most silk shops in Van Phuc village are selling silk with patterns designed by this man.

Hien couldn’t remember how many designs he had made in nearly ten years. Most silk weavers in Van Phuc village buy his patterns. As customers’ tastes are changing very quickly, Hien is also very busy. However, he doesn’t lose creativeness in new designs.

Hien’s designs are as sophisticated as those made manually by craftsmen in the past. Being called a craftsman, he refused, and said: “I don’t consider myself a craftsman. There are many real craftsmen in my village. They draw by hand and create highly-sophisticated patterns.”

Born in a family that has been living with silk for several generations, Hien became keen on drawing silk patterns when he was a child. But he was so busy with studies and managing the weaving workshop of his family that he couldn’t focus on this job until 1994.

He had to research alone because other craftsmen wouldn’t reveal their secrets. At present, Hien is the only one in Van Phuc who can complete the whole process of silk design.

Hien wishes to restore the traditional brocade weaving technology but he admits this is a very difficult job because craftsmen in Van Phuc are very old while the young don’t want to identify themselves with this job.

At the age of 40, Hien is worried about the future of his silk village as some families produce low-quality products, which damages Van Phuc silk’s reputation.

But Hien is most sad that the young are not enthusiastic about the traditional job. “Young people are very good at computers but they don’t want to follow my job. It is really hard to find one who is talented and loves this job!” Hien said.