Behind the Craft: Vietnamese Designer Dresses by LARMES

Vietnamese designer dresses, three generations in the making

LARMES makes Vietnamese designer dresses in a tailoring tradition that began two generations before the label had a name. It started with a grandmother's first stitches, was carried forward by a mother, and became LARMES in 2018, when designer Lệ Đỗ founded the house. Each piece is made in our atelier in Ho Chi Minh City, and our store is at 345 Vo Van Tan Street in District 3.

This is the story behind the craft: what was handed down, what we hold on to, and where you can see it in the clothes themselves.

A craft passed from hand to hand

Tailoring in Vietnam has long been personal. For generations, clothes for important moments were made by a dressmaker who measured the woman who would wear them, and the áo dài, the country's fitted national dress, is still cut close to one particular body. In that tradition, fit is the whole purpose of the work.

Our family's story sits inside that tradition. The first stitches came from Lệ Đỗ's grandmother; her mother carried the craft forward; and Lệ Đỗ, the Vietnamese fashion designer of the third generation, turned that inheritance into a label for women's occasion dresses, tops, skirts and sets. You can read the full story on our story page.

Inheriting, preserving, thriving

Three words guide what the house makes. We inherit the techniques of tailoring and an understanding of the female form. We preserve the discipline of the work itself: precise pattern-making, careful finishing and details made by hand, given the time they need. And we let the tradition keep moving, so each collection pairs classical tailoring with a current design language.

In practice that means a balance between structure and softness: a sculpted bodice, a defined waist and a seam placed exactly where it flatters, set against a skirt that moves as you walk or a drape across the shoulder.

Made to be worn again

We do not design for a single season. Lệ Đỗ hopes that a LARMES piece will still be worn years from now, restyled for a new occasion, and still feel right. That hope shapes the choices behind each design: clean lines over passing trends, colors that last, and construction made to hold its shape.

It also explains why so much of our attention goes to fit. A dress that fits well is a dress you reach for again; a dress that almost fits tends to stay in the closet. Our pieces come in standard sizes S, M and L with a custom-size option, and fittings are available at our Ho Chi Minh City store through Made-to-Order & Fitting. For occasions, see our evening dresses, wedding guest dresses and white dresses.

The hand details in the collection

The craft is easiest to see up close. Here are a few of the details made by hand in our current pieces.

Hand-covered buttons

Covering a button by hand is slow, patient work, and it gives a closure a quiet, finished look that a plain button cannot. On the Victoria Top and Irene Skirt, hand-covered buttons trace the split neckline of a sculpted peplum top, balanced by a minimalist ankle-length skirt.

Handcrafted calla lilies

The calla lily appears more than once in our work. On the Muna Vest and Ivy Pants, a handcrafted calla lily accented with black beading sits on a burgundy vest with a sculpted waist, a subtly flared peplum and an asymmetric cape. On the Lale Dress, hand-shaped calla lily appliqués cascade from the bodice to the hip, delicately accented with pearls, above a defined waist and sculptural capelet shoulders.

What to look for in a designer dress

Whatever label you choose, a few signs tell you a dress has been made with care:

• Seams that lie flat and meet cleanly at the waist and shoulders.
• A bodice that keeps its shape when you sit and move, without pulling or gaping.
• Details such as buttons, flowers or beading that are finished neatly on the inside as well as the outside.
• A hem that falls evenly all the way around.

None of these signs is dramatic on its own. Together they are what three generations of tailoring have taught us to care about, and the reason a well-made dress still looks right on its tenth wearing.

See how these ideas come together in the Éclat collection, or book a fitting at our store.