We were raised by financially poor Vietnamese farming parents, but very rich with love, knowledge, attention and care. There's a saying in Vietnamese: "Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây" - in short, it means to remember and pay homage to the farmer every time you take a bite of a fruit. It's a reminder that life is bigger than us and everything we have was built on someone else's blood, sweat and tears.
Roughly ten years ago, in Portland, this man Jason Mayden (@jaymay_chicity), who at the time I believe was Brand Jordan director, stumbled upon Hoang's Architecture work at our High School. After a little chat, he signed a Nike process book and literally wrote "If you don't design shoes after school, I'm going to come and get you." This was our official intro to Industrial Design.
Fast forward ten years later, in a whole different city, I run into him at a random bowling alley in the burbs! It's CRAZY how I just read his @Hypebeast article earlier this week and have been meaning to reach out! The world is such a small place! If it wasn't for this man, we would definitely NOT be here. #thankful #RightplaceRighttime #blessed