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| Phan Ngoc Hieu brought Maypaperflower paper flowers to Australia to introduce to customers. Photo provided by the character |
Hello Hieu, could you please talk about your "predestination" with paper flowers? Why with paper flowers and not something else?
12 years back, I visited Thanh Tien Village and was fascinated by the paper flowers there. Normally, I really like flowers. At that time, I worked as a bank employee and also opened a fresh flower shop. As soon as I saw that paper could be used to make flowers, I started to learn about handmade paper flowers. At first, I learned from the people in the craft village, and then I made and designed decorative flowers using paper material. I like paper material because it is environmentally friendly.
Studying at the University of Economics but switching to making paper flowers, did your family members support you at first?
I studied economics, majoring in Foreign Trade, but I have had a passion for art since I was a child. I loved painting but did not choose to learn this major because my parents desired me to have a better job. However, I still pursued my passion. I did not feel that studying economics is a disadvantage, but it has helped me gain more knowledge for my current startup related to the job about which I am passionate. I started my business with paper flowers in 2019 when I was a "mother with a baby". Initially, my family objected because they thought it was too hard for me to start a business, but then they supported me. Now my parents are very proud that their daughter has fulfilled her dream.
So what are the distinctive features of Maypaperflower against other traditional paper flowers?
My paper flowers are redesigned to suit a modern style, different from traditional flowers that serve mainly spiritual worship. A great many young people join in making paper flowers; I don't want to compare myself with anyone because everyone wishes to develop more of our country's handicraft products. In this project, what I cherish most is the desire to inherit and to be a connection creator between tradition and modernity to preserve and conserve the traditional paper flower-making job in Hue.
It is widely thought that selling paper flowers domestically is difficult, let alone selling them abroad, but Hieu has brought Maypaperflower paper flowers to Europe and Australia. Must such a journey have been full of hardships and challenges?
Right! When I first started my business with paper flowers, it was thought that I was crazy because paper flowers were hard to sell. People only saw that paper materials were cheap, but did not think that to create a finished flower product, each artisan had to take so many steps. In fact, Maypaperflower's journey to bring paper flowers to the international market experienced countless difficulties.
During 10 years of focusing on researching paper flowers after the trip to Thanh Tien Village, I have always been concerned about the crafts-people's painstaking work to create products with very low value and no consumer market. The idea of a start-up to inherit and develop handmade products creatively, enhancing the value of the products has been nurtured since then. Building a totally new brand is by no means effortless.
I and my colleagues have "spent our youth" researching, creating, and finding genuine partners to build; building a process of producing purely handmade products, creating technological secrets..., and of course with a lot of effort, sweat, and tears! Currently, I am striving to become a pioneer in developing large-scale paper flower painting production, striving to meet the domestic and international markets. Viewing the way the Japanese developed the art of Origami, the Italians crafted glass, and Spanish ceramics..., we realize that these are all hugely expensive handmade products. Obviously, the value of those products does not lie in the material, but in the talent the artisans devoted to each product - what no machine can replace.
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| Maypaperflower paper flower painting frame - a paper flower product enjoying great popularity |
In Vietnam, most of the handmade products are sophisticated, but they are sold on the market by processing method; the selling price for the final consumer can be 15 - 20 times higher than the factory price. This partly shows that our products are priced too cheap by ourselves while products with foreign brand labels have a different value. Despite knowing this, we cannot do otherwise for many various reasons, and more importantly, we do not have enough potential to build our own brand on the international market. I am also trying to gradually build a brand, going slowly but surely. As the product is put in the right place, customers will realize the value!
My products gaining wide acceptance in the European market is a milestone in the journey of efforts to bring Vietnamese products to the international market, proving that the talent and value of Vietnamese people in general and Hue in particular are recognized.
Maypaperflower opened a new factory in Hue last May. How do you feel about this new big step forward?
Last May 18 was partly a special day for the May team partly a very significant new step forward for the " Hue paper flowers - Maypaperflower" brand - May factory officially came into operation.
For those who have been following May since its foundation, they all understand the arduous and challenging journey May has gone through. Since the days when "Someone said that selling paper flowers is not easy, even very difficult...", Hue paper flowers - Maypaperflower have been present in many countries worldwide. Maypaperflower was officially established in 2021 with a small room of 4m2 including only 2 members. After a long time of incubation, May gradually grows with a workshop of 350m2 and nearly 20 members. It officially comes into operation at the new address: 59 Hoang Thi Loan, Hue City. This marks a big step forward, demonstrating the perseverance on Maypaperflower’s journey of development.
It is recalled that on the early days of foundation, from those who had a passion for traditional art and loved handicrafts with simple and rudimentary paper flower products, through the process of research and change, May's journey of making "paper blossom" has reached more perfection. With the mission of striking a balance between traditional techniques and creativity, May's handmade artworks contribute to creating a new decorative style while promoting a sustainable environment and empowering the local women's community.
Are you satisfied with what you have done, Hieu? What is your future plan?
Many things need to be bettered in my business model. I have started my business only for 3 years, so I need to learn and gain more experience. The key to May and the Maypaperflower brand's success today is respect for traditional values and perfection, which is the prerequisite for all my business activities.
Thank you for this conversation!