Phan Nguyen Hoai Thuong: From “Future Designer 2022” Winner to Internationally Recognized Achievements

From winning First Prize in the “Future Designer 2022” competition as a high school student to pursuing Fashion Design at HSU, Ms. Phan Nguyen Hoai Thuong has flourished in an environment that nurtures creativity and open-minded learning. Her international accomplishments proudly reflect the talent and ambition of a designer stepping confidently into the global arena.

Her milestone victory at the “Future Designer 2022” competition

At 14, the glow of runway lights and the rhythm of catwalks on screen lit up a dream inside Ms. Phan Nguyen Hoai Thuong, Fashion Design student at Hoa Sen University (HSU). Not long after, the “Future Designer 2022” competition at HSU became the bridge that carried her from imagination to reality.

“The contest pushed me beyond the boundaries I had set for myself. It also gave me recognition and the opportunity to learn from professional judges, helping me gain the confidence to pursue my dream with determination and long-term commitment”, she noted.

Thanks to her innovative 3D design “Metamorphosis”, which powerfully conveyed the theme of “transformation” and persuaded the judges, she surpassed hundreds of high school entrants and proudly achieved the Champion title. From that achievement, new opportunities opened, including a Talent Scholarship and the chance to study Fashion Design at HSU, a dream she had been nurturing for years.

At HSU, Hoai Thuong has not only acquired specialized knowledge but has also actively engaged in professional and community activities.

Typically, she served on the Organizing Committee for Fashion Design events such as Fashion Creation 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Fête de la Mode 2025. Moreover, she held the position of Head of Content for the HSU Atelier Club and took part in community campaigns such as Green Summer and Full Moon.

She claimed that the greatest value she gained from the HSU Fashion Design program was “an academic foundation that harmonizes creativity with real-world application”. HSU lecturers not only taught techniques but also nurtured a designer’s mindset: to care about every detail, to embrace the creative journey, and to stay true to one’s identity.

Consecutive international award-winning moments

Every day at HSU has been a step forward for Hoai Thuong, surrounded by esteemed lecturers and a learning environment that encourages creativity and multidimensional thinking. She has come to understand herself better: what she excels at and who she dreams of becoming. 

She commented: “Every project has widened my design thinking, deepened my understanding of the world, and shaped a personal style that truly reflects who I am. HSU allows me the space to reflect, to challenge myself, and to keep improving. Additionally, I have the freedom to experiment, to fail, and to rise; and that is how my mindset and my outlook on life evolve”.

In November 2025, she achieved remarkable results on two international platforms, further affirming her talent and potential. Her first accomplishment was winning First Prize in the Design-A-Bag 2026 Vietnam Talent Edition, an exclusive Vietnamese edition of the internationally recognized competition organized by APLF ASEAN. This victory earned her a fully sponsored trip to Hong Kong as Viet Nam’s only representative at APLF Hong Kong 2026, Asia’s leading fashion and leather industry showcase.

Following that, she secured another milestone: the “Best Creativity Prize” at the Pierre Cardin – Young Designers Award 2025. This marked the inaugural year that Maison Pierre Cardin first introduced its prestigious competition to Viet Nam. Her talent was further validated through recognition from Mr. Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin, General Manager of the Pierre Cardin brand (Paris), underscoring her creative excellence on an international stage.

“Language, the ability to express ideas, and creative adaptability are my strongest assets when stepping onto international stages. But what I truly want to pursue is not just another title, it is the power to create designs with their own voice, deep enough to touch people’s hearts and strong enough to represent who I am”

Hoai Thuong emphasized.

As fashion changes quickly, she constantly adopts a design thinking that adjusts and evolves. Her creative voice exists in the contrast between softness and rigidity, between emotion and intellect, where delicate beauty is reinforced with strength and the subtle, often unnoticed details of life are turned into meaningful and emotional fashion statements.

For her, technique, emotion, and creative thinking must be sharpened every single day, because growth has no finish line, and every new level is waiting to be reached. Therefore, she is constantly shaping herself into someone steadier and braver, ready to embrace new challenges with the passion of a person who truly loves her craft.

Above all, the greatest journey she chooses to conquer is the journey inward, transforming herself step by step, with purpose, patience, and unwavering determination.