By restoring integrity in the fashion industry’s manufacturing sector, Chan Luu continues to reinvent her approach while raising the bar for producers and consumers through handmade jewelry. After operating a successful retail store and becoming the CEO of her own company, Chan Luu Inc., the Vietnamese fashion and jewelry designer started the Ethical Fashion International line in conjunction with the United Nations, a product assortment that meets at the intersection of originality, sustainability, and ethical business.

With a taste for beauty and a love for travel, Luu has always drawn inspiration for her designs from her journeys around the globe, yet her time in Nairobi’s Kibera slum ignited a new passion, namely a desire to give back. Integrity is essential to her initiative, and her mission reflects her efforts to provide opportunities that support honest and fair livelihoods for local women in Haiti and Nairobi, Africa. As she celebrates local designs and culture while harnessing local strengths and techniques, Luu relies on this reciprocal partnership to deliver fashionable, handcrafted and well-made products to her global consumers.   

In 2021, Luu’s niece, Tessa Tran, took over as CEO and Creative Director. She continues Luu’s legacy with continued humility rooted in the belief that this is “Not charity, just work.” Below is a conversation with Luu that took place in 2015. Here, she discussed her background and the brand’s origins. Although it’s been some time, her story remains the backbone of the brand, proving that its evolution has remained true to its initial mission.

Over the years, the brand has expanded beyond jewelry, incorporating both men’s and women’s clothing with a special knack for cashmere garments.