JEN CHAU: Storytelling, technology, and couture

Vietnamese designer Jen Chau (Châu Nguyễn) is building her practice at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and couture. Currently based in Paris and studying at ESMOD, her work moves between cinematic costume and experimental fashion, exploring how garments can shift identity and construct entire worlds.

FROM CHILDHOOD FAIRYTALES TO PARIS ATELIERS

Fashion first caught Chau’s attention through stories rather than trends. “As a child, I loved dressing up as a princess — not just because of the dresses, but because each one had her own colour palette and style that reflected her character,” she says. “That’s when I realised clothing could be a narrative.”

DESIGNER PORTRAIT: Châu Nguyễn

Despite early scholarship offers from fashion schools, Chau initially faced pressure to pursue business. But the pull of design was stronger. “Success isn’t guaranteed in any career. The only real advantage is passion, because it keeps you going,” she explains. That conviction led her to ESMOD Paris, where she honed her focus on 3D design and cinematic costume.

STARTING POINTS

Though her brand is still in development, Chau’s methodology is already clear. Each project begins with two words — sometimes random, sometimes suggested by friends. Odd pairings like “Keyboard + Bread” or “Chapin + Wind” become seeds for garments that test how language can evolve into form.

“I don’t want clothes to be static objects,” she says. “They’re props, companions, and characters in the story you’re living.”

INSECTS, SOLARPUNK, AND SPECULATIVE FUTURES

Her most recent collection draws from insect anatomy and the solarpunk sci-fi novel The Mote in God’s Eye. Fragility and resilience, organic and mechanical, collide in pieces that imagine a future where nature and technology operate in symbiosis.

The presentation was conceived as an immersive narrative. “Each model was a traveler from another world,” Chau explains. “The runway was part of the story — not just a backdrop.”

Her process reflects this world-building approach: research, sketching, 3D prototyping in CLO3D, then draping and testing exaggerated silhouettes. “It’s not just about how the clothes look, but how they move and feel alive.”

TOO MUCH AND JUST RIGHT

DESIGNER: Châu Nguyễn

As an emerging designer, Chau has faced skepticism. “Convincing people that ‘cinematic insect-robot couture’ is worth exploring isn’t always easy,” she admits. Relocating from Vietnam to Paris added another layer of adaptation — navigating cultural differences, resources, and expectations. But she treats challenges like design problems: “You sketch solutions and make them work, even if it means bending the rules.”

On balancing creativity with commercial appeal, she’s pragmatic: “I don’t design with safety in mind. But I like the challenge of translating big, theatrical ideas into everyday pieces that still make the wearer feel like the main character.”

COLLABORATION AS INSTINCT

For Chau, the moment of transformation happens when someone else steps into her clothes. “Models put on a piece and instantly shift into character. That’s when the garment stops being mine and becomes part of their story.”

She approaches shoots with the same mindset. Often working with new collaborators, she builds teams through instinct and shared curiosity. “I set the vision, but once people see the world we’re creating, they bring their own energy. That’s when the work becomes more interesting.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Chau’s long-term ambition lies in film — designing costumes that embed narrative detail into every frame. “I want to follow a film crew around the world, working from the first sketch through to post-production. A career that’s nomadic and constantly shifting between realities.”

Her next project remains under wraps, but she hints at “a love letter to my culture, wrapped in fantasy, stitched with pixels” — a body of work that will merge Vietnamese heritage with her ongoing experiments in 3D and speculative design.

We asked what she wishes people noticed more: “The story behind the garment. Because for me, the piece itself is just the passport.”

Jen Chau is part of a new generation of designers pushing fashion toward narrative, immersion, and transformation — less about dressing up, more about world-building.