Who is Phan Huy? The youngest designer to show his own brand at Paris Haute Couture Week

Confirmed by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) as a Guest Member for the Spring-Summer 2026 season, Phan Huy (Phan Nguyễn Nguyên Huy) is officially recognised as the youngest designer in world history with his own brand to be selected to present on the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.

He is the first-ever Vietnam-based designer to be accepted into the official Haute Couture schedule. By joining at age 26, he surpasses the previous record for the youngest designer with their own house, a title recently held by Sohee Park (Miss Sohee). This selection requires a rigorous review and endorsement letters from at least five global fashion authorities.

His official debut under the FHCM calendar is scheduled for January 29, 2026, in Paris. Huy's work is celebrated for its fusion of traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship such as hand embroidery and natural dyeing, with modern architectural silhouettes. Our favourite is the collection, La Moyenne Région — a lacquer painting by two artists, Nguyen Tien Chung and Hoang Tich Chu — depicts a Vietnam that no longer exists.

The maison de couture label, named after this designer himself, is a luxury couture fashion house founded alongside stylist Steven Doan in 2023. The brand's designs have appeared on red carpets at prestigious events, including the Cannes Film Festival, worn by international celebrities and models such as Jhené Aiko and Miss Universe titleholders Zozibini Tunzi and Victoria Theilvig.

Designs focus on sculptural silhouettes, beaded details and innovative fabric treatments like laser-cut patterns. Materials are often sourced from local artisans in Vietnam and include silk, organza, tulle and handwoven hemp, using natural, plant-based dyeing methods. Each collection tells a story rooted in Vietnamese identity and landscapes, such as the Lost in the Cavern collection inspired by Son Doong Cave, the debut couture collection presented in Paris.

The lastest Fall-Winter 2026 Show, the designer notes it as "Waking up from a summer afternoon nap – the rustling leaves, the gentle breeze, the scent of dried straw after harvest, and the sound of fish and shrimp splashing in the water basin my mom just brought home. Summer in Vietnam is truly lovely!"

Each design was a journey of digging through and picking up familiar little objects from the garden and childhood kitchen corners of so many Vietnamese people. One piece recalls a paper kite, another a bamboo fan, another the kids’ game of chicken-fighting with grass, or fish traps, glowing charcoal or his father’s worn-out vest, 36 designs, each a vivid image.

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