476 - Can We Move Beyond “Made in Vietnam” labels? - Khanh Ngo

0:00Do you ever wonder about the people in family photos or ever try to ask who these people really were? Every face is a narrow escape or a love story that almost didn't happen. Your family stories are hidden in plain view You just haven't access it yet. There are versions of these rebels and dreamers before life told them who they needed to be And I'm not talking about the shiny stories. Everyone knows. I'm talking about the soul-crushing Experiences with heart breaks and real loss. You got to preserve these stories now So contact the Vietnam story bank dot com today. No polish just raw recorded beautiful history that makes you sit up and hold your breath We dig it all up record it and hand it back to you safe, uniraced, untouchable and unforgettable Don't let silence have the last word go to Vietnam story bank dot com today. Make sure your family stories are recorded Welcome to the Vietnamese podcast today. I am in studio with Kanh who runs made by go

1:04Made by NGO correct. Yeah, yeah, and we met recently at a dope as Hennessy party Yeah, that's why it's as a fire party was fire. It was a Hennessy and it was a dead party and then we After that party went to get some food in the career town and we just started talking and I found you to be really interesting Your point of views about fashion and about the speed of branding and all of that You know all the work that you've done in the last few years in LA. So here we are in studio In the art district in DTLA. So welcome to the Vietnamese podcast. Oh, thank you. Thank you. What have me and welcome to the friendly market It's actually called the friendly market. Yeah, it's called a friendly market. His fate his spot is called the friendly market And you are originally from Ohio, right? Yes, Columbus, Ohio. I moved to Columbus, Ohio when I was four From where? Who is it now? Yeah, yeah, you have any memory of it? Not much. I have memory when I went back

2:05I went back in high school. So I had a little bit of that memory, but as a child no no no like memory So for you, it's a Columbus, Ohio little known fact is my family I think spent a few months in Columbus, Ohio as well Oh, well in the 70s when we had just moved from Harris Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Okay, we We had family in Columbus, Ohio and we're scoping it out. So is there a big Vietnamese community there? It's a decent size. Yeah, yeah, it's decent I think I think what makes the Vietnamese community big in Ohio in general. I think the The nail businesses were well, so you know, my family has my brother My older sisters and they do nails, but I think the nail business got really big got boom in so then you see a lot of Vietnamese people moving there as well Yeah, yeah, and is there a big community in Columbus, Ohio? Yeah, yeah, it's nice these nice decent community and My sister was a and college my sister was a president at VSA so a vanity student association

3:05So that's really cool, too. So you do See the Vietnamese community also within college at Ohio State as well What do you think got you initially into fashion? I think what it was is like I tell people I said sometimes what makes me a great designer is Is growing up being poor. I think when you're poor you come from nothing You're always using your imagination, right? You're always looking at how other people would have a certain pair of sneaker and you're like, oh I would have worked this way. I would have did it that way and I Think with with my community and my friend circle. I noticed that My like my side hustle or the way I made my money was Customizing and making clothes. I think that was really What pivot me from doing all the other stuff that I seen around this all right? Let's just get into this because I think that's a very important thing

4:07You literally were customizing clothes for like friends. Yeah, and that's how you like side hustled That's how you made your money. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and explain like exactly how that goes down and how old were you and like How does that opportunity come to somebody? Oh, so I think when I Think when I was in I would say in high school I would just paint t-shirts and then I grew up around a very urban community So sneakers was really heavy into our aesthetic and then I just started painting shoes for fun Right, I think the fun the fun part is is growing up being an artist knowing how to do art and draw I felt like I wanted to make outfits has stood up, you know, and I remember my friend Mike Down the street for me his mom is also Vietnamese and I remember I used to give her bandanas for her to sell on top of these t-shirts for me So then she was just like what what is this? I was like, you know, it's like a trend

5:07Turn that time listen to dip set and stuff like that. I was like, oh, this is cool And then you know, I just knew that I Can make a shirt Customize it less than I guess 12 to 15 bucks. I could sell it to someone customized one of one yet 50 60 dollars 65 Really? Yeah, so after a while. I was just like oh Wow, this is adding up and then I learned a little bit about reselling when Um, I would buy certain shoes. I wear a few times and I'll sell it, right? I'll find some kid as around my size like, yo, I just got these new shoes But I reward it and then I would buy new shoes with that and I think That was also a big part of like when you're Selling fashion or you're I call selling confidence You got to also look like you're up on top of all the latest trends and sneakers and stuff like that. So Yeah, I would wear a pair of shoes Maybe five six times and then I'll sell it and then I'll go buy some more other shoes

6:08Just because I want to keep myself like Looking like a trendy person a person I could sell you a outfit that makes sense. Yeah, it makes sense Yeah, yeah, I recently Begin to recognize how little I know about fashion Yeah, yeah, because I just grew up very basic and still just very classic very basic colors and everything but I started hanging out with some people who looked Like they really thought about what they wear but things are like oversized or they're they look a certain way And you know that they're not just like doing this willy nilly or they're just guessing they like you feel like there's a Thought to what they're doing and I really recognize that recently um and I want to ask you What do you think dictates and guides Good fashion when you look at it and you're like that person knows that the one There's just not like randomly at this right right right

7:09How do you know how do we know that as a as regular people? I think I think when you look at someone you know it's good fashion It's like It's really weird. It's like like if you come from a culinary block background Yeah, and you just see how the way the chef just cut the meat right and how they prepare the the pan And you're like oh this person knows what they're doing and sometimes the fashion is not about Really the price of your outfit is how they put it together. Yeah, right like sometimes you'll look at someone be like Damn like the jeans the way how it just fit the boots And that certainty the length of that t-shirt with the with the boots and and I'm sorry with the jeans and the certain jacket They selected you can just tell it's just like a sense for like oh wow this person knows they're doing are they have good taste it's like when you Find a guy that's in a car, right? It's just the way how the car stands and looks it don't have to have like the Most expensive wheels or it don't have to be at an expensive car

8:11But you just see the car and you can say like okay. Yeah, it's good taste So this is where I'm going with this because then how do you know That that's good like okay, so you just explained it right, but then how do you know where you fit into the whole system of fashion As somebody coming from Ohio To LA and now you're like okay, I put together the side hustle and people are buying from me where I come from right so like what does it take to be from like From here understanding it from this like guttural Instinctual sense, right to like really notching it up and be like I'm gonna be internationally because I hear it from me I heard it from you at the dinner. I was like Why does he think he knows what he's talking about but I'm like I'm buying into this and I think the other lady who is sitting You know all these people who are sitting next as we're like buying into but you're much more on fire because I think we're drinking it Yeah, of course, yeah, but now I think with the clear mind. I would love to hear you Talk about why you think like if you're coming from Ohio and you did the side hustle

9:16Why do you think that you deserve what what sensibility brings you to that like Superstar status because you seem like you believe in it. Yeah. Yeah. I think what it is is just like Obviously you would say inspiration, right? Being from Ohio my biggest inspiration was kid cutie Um a kid from Cleveland He ended up signing with good music. He's running around with Kanye West So you're like wow like just like The way he would dress at the time when you're like hard crispy APC. He's like Retro Jordans. So like that was already a person. I'm like oh wow. He can do it. I can do it And then also recognize recognization like being able to Go to New York You know, I was going to fashion weeks in New York hanging out with certain designers and then Um It's just I knew it. You know, obviously when these This is like you could hang with these cats in bigger cities, right? I've never really Let me be in from Ohio. Stop me from seeing the world, right? Um, I think it also comes back from my background

10:21My dad fought for Vietnam He was a South Vinnie's pilot and growing up. I seen a plane Every day the C-47 and when I was younger, I used to see that plane and I at a young as a young child I knew that the world was bigger than where I'm living at, right? I knew Ohio was just Where my ground and I knew that if I can live off I can go to many different places, but when you go to many different places If you have like that style and grace people are are going to recognize it, right? It doesn't It's just I don't know. It's just after a while you get Recognization you have certain people wearing your stuff um You know like For LeBron's 40th birthday. He had my hat on right and how did you get it? Um, how did that happen? Uh, to be rude. I I'm friends with his best friend. Um, I'm have a lot of good connections with LeBron's camp Um, I actually designed it uninterrupted. So there's that UN hat that he wears all the time. I designed a hat as well

11:23Um, but when he was wearing that hat that was just like It was really felt good, but it's like a job, right? I looked at all. I'm just working here. It's like This is supposed to happen when you design a good product. The person should wear it, right? That's just like it's supposed to happen But I think on the 40th birthday it meant a lot to me. I think everything start off with energy. Um, yeah, I was back home in Ohio and um You know me my dad got into it and It's that one time. I just like crashed out. What did he say? What what he we just had a we we were just talking about like just grown up and you know It all started off as a conversation about going to the temple when then we talked about The kids that I grew up with at the temple and He got to a point where he just was Comparing us to the other people other kids and other, you know, what they're doing and valuing what their family or success or XY And I just felt like it was just unfair for him to

12:26You know cherish Other people's like like I've always felt like I'm always happy for others, but you feeling like the comparison part is just unfair so I kind of like You know, I kind of got an argument with him and I felt back, you know, you know, our tradition is you don't really speak out of line with your elders And then I think on the flight back um I was very I think I was very Disappointed myself. I did not want to show him that side of me and then I just was like putting up this energy in the air like I just once like my dad is a literal guy. So I was like I just want Something to happen for him to see that his kids do cool things too, right like sometimes If you can't really celebrate Your child's wins. What's the point of them? You know So I had to learn at a young age of learning how to suck like Learning how to keep going outside of like Not getting that cheer from your own family, but I just told myself like I really wished

13:29Something was more literal for him to just see that his kids do something cool. It's not a financial Thing is not about oh, he's doing this and I just it could be the littlest thing, right? I just wish those the littlest things in the world that can show him that his kids are doing something And then the next day Lebron I didn't know there's this 40th birthday the next day and he had my hat on All over the news you know sports center. Yes, PN is your dad a big Lebron fan of course I mean anybody from Ohio. Yeah, my my my dad especially my brother in general House was a we're really big on sports like we love a house they buck eyes He loves a house they basketball so that's huge. Yeah, so growing up It was just like that's all we knew is Michael Jordan and and just sports in general and yeah I think that was cool. I think I mean I feel like the whole family is pretty excited But I didn't really have to say anything. I'm just like let let let let this moment speak for itself and Just go from there and just keep going. I just always tell myself. I got to keep going Yes, so all right when you land in

14:31LA You know, I know LA is a tough place. Oh, yeah, yeah, it's a tough. It's LA, New York it could It could chew you up and spit you out you got to know people here. You got to be like dug in and even then It's a grind right yeah, you can get you can get lost in the sauce out here for sure You really can you can't really can't what tell me tell me some stories about your fashion adventure Here in LA so I think when I first moved to LA I was designing at At a company called forever 21. Oh, right, um My manager is really cool. Me and him got along really well. Is it the one just down the street? No, yeah, yeah, yeah, Lincoln Heights. It was in Lincoln Heights. It was my first design job here and um I prior to that I designed for urban alpharders in Philadelphia. So feel urban alpharders was my first corporate design job

15:32And then when I came when I left Philly I applied a couple of jobs and then when I worked at forever 21 um I can say fast fashion to me. We just don't mix right. I just was like I put a lot of thought into a design And then it's not what they're looking for. They're just like They're all about pump and skew there like they're all about pump and skew's and I'm really big on energy and then one day I was like You know fudge is place like I'm trying to get the block up out of here. It's just too fucking much like it's too easy That's what it was. It was too easy It was just too easy. It was just I didn't feel the challenge. It's just like I don't know after a while. I just didn't want to be in there So I just put this energy up in there Ironically, I get this phone number from it. It's a it says San Francisco And I was just joking to myself. I like watch this be Levi's calling me. Wow, and weird ironically It was the recruiter from Levi's when I left Philly I applied for a job at Levi's

16:34But the recruiter jacama went ghost and then somehow I did the project I had the interview and boom. I moved to I moved to San Francisco Well, I lived in Oakland, but I was working in San Francisco So I was in LA for only eight months and during that time at LA was a fucking fun as hell like I was going to flee It's like tons of parties and events. It was just I did not want to leave. I just felt like damn it. I'm just like this is such an amazing city but Levi's was my dream job Right, so I got to Levi's it was just so surreal and um, I was able to do Couple big collaborations. I did a Mario collab. I did a new pair of new balance. I designed my own shoe through Levi's I did the men's denim and trucker jackets. So that was amazing um, but It's really weird. I've always said this thing is like Make all dreams exist and I always tell myself when you reach a level of it I guess when you reach your dreams

17:35What happens when you reach a dream? I think you plateau maybe right you wake up Right, you wake up. Mm-hmm. You have another dream, right? So when I got to Levi's I see the question Yeah, when I got to Levi's I just was I think the culture in in San Francisco wasn't What I liked right it just Didn't really have much for me to do. I felt like I didn't have a lot of fruits in my labor and Working at such a company like that a big corporation company It's just Certain times Places can make you fall out of love and it sucks. That's like that because you get to that place And you think like oh, this is the end. This is why I belong and It just it does you know, and then one day I was going through some stuff and I get like Hit this butterfly tattoo on the side of my head and I'm like oh, I was like, you know what? This is only my butterfly year that's kept I kept saying it's gonna be my butterfly year What what does that mean? It's just like the year where like

18:35I just been in this cocoon and I'm gonna become this butterfly like I'm gonna figure out life like I'm gonna figure out like That year when I become a butterfly it's like my butterfly year and I kept telling myself that and then Leaving Basel Miami and I came back home and I was on the art show. Yeah. Yeah, Miami in 2019. Mm-hmm come back to LA I mean, I'm sorry to come back to the bay and um This year I was different. I was like I want to dedicate Everything into work and you know, whatever the case may be and um Cold it came you know, and I was like oh shit, and then we're working from home like everything is changing now You're like okay, there's a lot going on and um I get Later down the line Couple months later. I get I get laid off from Levi from Levi's and It was really weird, but like it was like the weight came off of myself, right? It was just so much. I was like man and

19:35I think I moved back to California moved down to Southern California. My sister at the time was living in Manifee So I'd stay with her for a little bit like think like four months And I moved to LA moved to the place from that now. I mean this neighborhood And um It's scary, right? I was like shit like I used to when I first moved here I was always thinking about like I need to make sure I have a job right the cost of living is well so much higher in compared to Ohio And I just bet on myself and then um Yeah, like A lot of the styles started coming in I was on HBO show um Which show were you on it was called a hype season two so were you in front of the camera you want Your styling behind no, I wasn't I was in the can I was literally In front of the camera just designing is it is like a design competition. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, how they find you uh To be honest with you, I manifested it. I was talking about that like what's that mean? So I was on a couch one day and um

20:42My life is really big on manifestation. I think a lot and I just say it out loud and it just happens and like you literally say it out loud Say that here's so many guys on me that so like they literally say it out loud. Yeah, it's the craziest thing Yeah, so I know that I know that I have a very unique background, right? I know that my story is very Uh unique. I don't think a lot of people um Has been through what I've been through just because it's it's a lot and then I just realized one day like man a lot of these designers they really They really get a better opportunity when the world knows about their their story their background who they are They're upbringing, you know, they there's just a lot of success to a lot of people that have that opportunity And I was like, yo, I need an opportunity to like people know about my story about who I am and then That's just it. I just mentioned that and then My boy Jew called me he's like, yo, I'm watching this show, but I like I think you should you would probably go crazy on this show And I was like, oh shit. I don't know nothing about

21:44Hollywood and it's the TV stuff, but um Shit, you know someone let me know like if I end up winning a competition, I'll cut you percent. I don't know This will be good for me to just try to let my story be out, you know, and then um One of our friends sister was a producer. She connected us With the producer for the show and I did my interview and you know, he had this like auditions and everything and then um Yeah, it's really crazy, but They gave me like 12 hours and let me know I was on the show. It's really crazy, but yeah, that was my opportunity to be on the show and um I think I wasn't prepared like others like I asked others. How long did you know you gonna be on the show? They're like, oh, we I knew like a month ago, two months ago, 12 weeks ago. They gave me 12 hours. They called me I like I think it was like I went I did like a mental health zoom call at like six Call the producer back. Well, yeah, am I on the show? I just left like this mental health Call it blacked out the entire screen. You can't see nobody and he's like, we don't know yet. I was like, okay

22:49And then I decided to go out anyways that night because I figured I might be on the show might go out for the one last time and then They call me around like 11 at night and was like, hey, we're gonna pick you up at noon tomorrow Um for the show and then you know, congratulations and stuff like that I try to postpone the show pick up times I can have time to go by like fabrics and stuff for the show Um, but yeah, they wouldn't allow that but I just end up packing up a whole bunch of clothes to wear But yeah, I was like, I'm just going to do it. It's a fashion competition. Yeah, it's a fashion competition show. Yeah, and how to go man, uh Is that out yet? Yeah, yeah, it's on HBO. It's on HBO. Um to be rude to I've definitely learned a little bit about Hollywood um, I felt like Hollywood I was on it only you guys never champion anyone as Asian. It's just like something. I just told them but Me and the director were kind of cool like I was probably the only one on set that will go up and talk to him because I kind of want to understand his background and um

23:54You know after the show he came up to me. He was like con like I know you should have won but you don't want to win this show I was like, what's that mean? I was like exactly. I was like, but I want this cop this money, you know It's like 150k like I felt like I deserve the money because I felt like I put a lot of it's a real like I literally was building looks from scratch While people are taking out their own old patterns and remake and old shit like everything I made were like completely brand new Pieces or whatever case may be that's how I looked at this. It's a competition. That's how I looked at it Um, but he was just like, you know, you don't want to win this I don't think really he's like Nobody remembers the winner. They always remember the guy that shit of one And after a while I just was like whatever, but I'm starting to see it too like I'm starting to see that like I'll go out meet people at like At corporate Nike or something I meet them and and then like you should have won the show. We have room for you and Yeah, there's people recognize it too. I guess it comes in my favor and it's still you you always want to win that but you know, right

25:00Right, right, but you know People in Vietnam who are from Vietnam and are Vietnamese and they say why do we Vietnamese Americans have such a problem with our identity. We have it's called identity angst, right? We're so uncomfortable with our identity Why am I always talking about this shit me right? And I'm hearing it from you and I hear it from everybody right Anybody who's grown up in America. Why do we feel Like you didn't get a shot. Why do you feel like you didn't get a shot in the show like they don't Promote Asian Americans like really do feel that way you for me. Do you really believe that? No, I do believe that okay. Why? Because I know for a fact That So there's a scene where um I'm a bit emotional on on the show right and it's really tough because I was like damn I'm like Fine on this damn show looking like you know, look like a punk or something

26:00so then When the producers first sent me my My promo video like everybody gets their own little video that they post and they made you look bad Oh, man, like everybody video was all happy and fucking bubbly as shit And my shit had to be all like dark and semi-sad or whatever So I told the producers like I'm not fucking posting this She's like are you serious? I like no, I'm not posting this as I was like you gotta give me better. She's like why I like bruh like Like you you guys are trying to put this like soft like like really felt like really weak image on me And I was like that's not me. I was like I don't and I told I was like yo if you don't repost this y'all fuck this I'm not posting this shit, but and I'm in not I'm not gonna pull I'm not in promoting this show. I don't know if you give it and then they recut it for you Yo, they recut it and ironically the guy that recut it DM me because he's from Ohio some random dude. He's like yo, I'm from Ohio. He's like I'm so glad you told them to recut that shit because I was like why is why is his video like this and

27:05I think grown up especially from the Midwest the type of pedigree that I grew up in like I'll take no fun I don't I would literally talk to somebody like yo, like who are you loud? This is I don't I'm not afraid It's amazing because I have you know, I mean you it's rare to hear somebody really step up to power, right? Yeah, and say You gotta change this shit because that Has been what Hollywood I think And I'm just gonna speak to it. I think that we have this We have this like real life experience of really being put down. Yeah, and and playing on stereotypes like a week Asian man And then what is the road that because that's just cells now to be honest or two it's it's it's been like that since I was a kid Like my mom would tell me like Those do do those those are way bigger than you why don't you just you know, just put your head down and walk away and then

28:06and just Not saying nothing, you know, you know Did you go up in a predominantly black neighborhood? Yeah, yeah, all black neighborhood all black neighborhood Well, we live in a government Housing area, so we also had like a lot of allows Fied and Cambodian homies a lot of like a Retrie in and some out lose some allian as well, but a lot of Ethiopian a Retrie and but I'll get in fights, bro like I literally would tell my mom like no, I'm not doing that and I think oh I think the reason why I was like that ironically is when I was younger my siblings We didn't live too far from a library And I think discovering a library car for a little kid might have been the craziest shit ever And the only movies I ran and I was Bruce Lee like he was my hero as a kid because he was a dude I just like fought for himself like he literally wouldn't let no one like even the way he How racist the Japanese were towards them he was always defend himself and I think growing up like

29:11Bruce me and Michael Jordan were like my idols because it was just like You never seen a player go three-peat Dad goes away and boom comes back three-peats Because it's just kind of like you grew up seeing two fucking dudes I didn't really give a fuck like they're gonna win or they're gonna figure it out And I think also my dad knowing his background and just seeing like him coming to America with like Three boys, three girls and his wife like that's a big that's a big family to take care of and you did it He did it and I just think that like sometimes a lot of Young guy like younger guys nowadays. I just feel like the downfall with certain people was I mean certain men nowadays is they haven't been They don't grow up with a lot of masculinity and they lies due to Families and stuff, right? So I feel like for me I just knew how to like Take up for myself and I just I speak up for myself

30:13That's all I'm always gonna do to speak up for myself because I like to be fair Like I'm not like a bully where I like one in my way all the time right right I just you're showing me like that on on a promo. I can't yeah, I can't dig it I had to tell her like you're like I like you like I think you're doing your job too and But I'm not promoting this shit. I'm just not and then they recut it and then send me another one another one obviously it worked out but Besides that I was just like okay, but that's sometimes like I mean sometimes you got to know what you get yourself into and that's just Hollywood in general Like that's just yeah, because they're playing on all kinds of imagery and archetypes and leveraging you know Stereotypes, I mean that's that's what sells and it's even like this with me and brands like me as a designer now like I wrote to a big brand for a collaboration and I was very honest with them like look you guys Are always spotlight in the Japanese the Koreans, you know Chinese Okay, fighting words now like like little bit of philippines because of the basketball coach. Yeah, but I felt like as a brand you guys have never once

31:20You know gave of A Vietnamese or South Southeast Asian opportunity and I just felt like if I was given this opportunity I would do it right. That's what I told a brand But yeah, even like that, you know, it's it's tough because you don't see a lot of Vietnamese Designers going at type of Ralph. Well, let's talk about that. You know, that's what I'm here to talk about Why haven't we seen it? Why haven't we seen brands coming out of Vietnam or Vietnamese Americans a lot of us You know, why don't we see that? Why do we see coming out of the Japanese and Koreans? I think you know Obviously coming from a corporate design background a lot of places They measure by like Geo Geographics of like popularity populations and stuff like that like right now like I'm not gonna hold you like The Koreans are going crazy. They're chilling it. But the funniest thing with my brand is My second most biggest supporters are Japanese

32:23Like I have a lot of Japanese People that buy my stuff and like relate great relationships with certain people in Japan And I think It's really weird because These brands I don't know. I think they're just stuck to that. There's just stuck to that and It's it's it's really hard to say because it's like friends as let's just say this is let's just say me and you are both The these two Asia guys. They're trying to put for like so we've got a API month, right? It's just like okay, we got Tom here and we have you here But they're most likely going to pick you because you are from the pedigree of living in Los Angeles Because you're outreach is much bigger than mine And then for me it's like oh, he's from the Midwest. It's not that much people there in general compares to the West Coast So they'll pick you. That's just how it is. Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz I'm the host of big technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to CNBC And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives

33:25So each week on big technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it Asking where this is all going they come from places like Nvidia Microsoft Amazon and plenty more So if you want to be smart with your wallet your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties Listen to big technology podcast or ever you get your podcasts. It's not even a talent thing No, it's not even an aesthetic thing that's just all about that. Geos Geos, but it takes for me To do something like I did a complex con where I did a collaboration with Mitchell Ness I did like these customer this little thing I did a cut Mitchell Ness And it should just took off like all the actors were pulling up all these rappers were coming all these people were coming influence and stuff like that so then now The group that I've seen at the the company whatever their group. They seen it in real life so then Now I'm getting like a little hey How you doing? What's going on because sometimes this is like

34:27The worst part about a lot of these corporations is they don't hire people like you that's on ground zero, right? They hire these Corporate workers. Yeah, that they just sit there on the computers all day They don't even know what's going on and they don't have the time to be running around Figure out who's hot on the ground. Yeah on the ground So they got a measure by Geos and metrics and shit like that like okay, who can he can reach outreach Who's this reach to who can he who does he know did that that where's he from they that's how they just measure stuff but there's going to be Rarely certain places have the guys that's on the ground But most of the guys that you know, I'm gonna be respectfully, but like most of these dudes out work for these corporations Are completely cornballs. They're just corn warning motherfuckus Meet the cornea's motherfuckus when I worked at Levi's the last thing I ever told someone was I work for leave us My name is con my Instagram is made by NGO. I do this. I do this. I do that

35:31And maybe at the end I'll tell tell my work that Levi's why I don't want people to treat me a certain way because of my job and I don't want people like My the worst thing I ever seen was seeing people treating others bad because they work at a certain company Because my analogy is like you just work there. You don't own the company. You're just an employee You come in. You do your hours out. You have a manager that tells you what to do. So you're not really that bossed up realistically and if you are a Senior or something you have a director, so you still have a boss and if you are a director You still have the VP of design that boss you around so at the end of day until you're your own boss Then you can be a little bit more confident when you step out But I've always believed that I everyone has to treat each other equally I don't care if you're the VP of a certain company like if you are a asshole, I'm like, yeah, you fucking like his asshole Have you been a Vietnam? I haven't been back since I was like 1617 okay, so it's changed. Well, I'm actually going to go back in and hopefully in a few weeks. Okay. Yeah

36:35um Do you track any fashion designers from Vietnam or Vietnamese people around the world? Do you track anything that fashion people do? Yeah, so I Followed a few couple stores in Vietnam um Shout out to my boy Tony He's in He has a shop called hidden. He's also Vietnamese, but he's out in the OC area And he's told me about a few people Um, there's a couple of brands. I just recently followed like who I don't know. I just live on Instagram I don't I don't mean to put your own. Yeah, I don't really Remember the name too well because I just noticed it But they they just had black pink where they're holding. Yeah, and and the reason I asked that is because if we in the business Of culture like you're in the business of fashion I'm in the business of culture. I'm in the business of needing to know all this right and I can't even List off a few meet me personally. Right right right then we got a lot of work to do right? I mean

37:37Truthfully, I can say that like I do have a lot of work to do a lot of yeah a lot of the brands that I do Honestly follow in Asia is more in Japan, right? A few if obviously there's a few in Korea Why do we follow Japanese and Korean brands and we and there's There's hundreds of fashion brands in Vietnam. I think I think due to I think for me. I will only speak for me is due to one maybe in from the Midwest grown up and I I think Adilizing Japanese designers and stuff like that like you know They fizz mom all these different brands needles like you you see that more and I just Never got a chance to really he noticed too much about Vietnamese brands. I do I have to say like a lot of the Vietnamese brands that I see that are really making a lot of noise

38:37Is I see a lot of women's brand. It's like really going crazy and And sometimes I don't check for that as well But I think that's the reason why I want to go to Vietnam because I want to go out there And also connect with people, but I haven't I had a situation and it just it came to kind of a scare What was the situation? Oh I did a bomber jacket paying homage to my dad and uh, you know And the comment section wasn't that like I didn't really get a good uh, I didn't get a really good response response all right I don't even know what I don't even know what that post looks like But I just know I've gotten I've gotten to a jack I got into the fact we're like I've I'm thrown out of that mentality. Okay good good good Well, let's talk about that mentality because I think that's a very important thing to talk about And I'm probably talking about flags and we're talking about sides We're a little bomber jackets. That's military. That's bomber jackets are U.S

39:38Signature So I think We come out of these families of South Vietnamese American families all gun hole military But as we start to move on in the world We start to see that there's a much much much bigger and much more complicated period. Yeah And did you learn something from that experience? Yeah, yeah, so so um Um Yes, so recently watched this Netflix documentary about the war the turning point one. Yeah, the reason why I see it yeah I translated all the Vietnamese to English. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you know is uh um I can honestly say um Ironically, let's like I'm gonna backtrack a little bit um it's so funny that I work for Levi's because prior to I believe I was like 21 at the time Men it was a long time ago. I was chilling and since then at it at one of my ex-girlfriends house. She's So I don't know I was just up late and I watched 60 minutes

40:39and it was about Levi's and and It just talked about the history of Levi's and Maybe in this denim nerd. I'm so fascinated with this and then They then it talks about how Levi's left like the union and made in USA wasn't established no more And then it ended up going to like China especially in Vietnam, right? So I like I noticed that the years The timeline and then as I get older You know, you look at like you know I remember high school year my dad would take me to school And he was complaining about gas prices Damn gas is going up gas is going up. I like oh how is it said like 97 cents and I'm this is back in Ohio But my at the time is like you know a couple weeks ago. It was like 60 cents and I was just like oh and then I think by end of senior year what like say I was like Less than six months gas was 399

41:41So then you started noticing that That whole world was about oil So then now I look at like the Vietnam war I realized like oh that world was just pretty much A way to extort my country Labor And I just kind of realized like I think I think all sides were involved in my opinion. I think all sides were involved Because when America went to France to have that secret meeting that was the meeting and I think The reason why I feel like us in a sense we're a little bit more educated with a lot of these things is because Back there. They don't really want you to know that right back back in the motherland But as I get older. I just start realizing like Like warges is not fun at all right Even like my little brother and you know, we go through family problems And I always tell him like you know give give give so-so some grace like

42:44We're a product of war like this. It just comes from a lot of mental Shit like we go through a lot or feel our siblings are family go to a lot Um, am I going to represent The south of course. That's that's that's the place that My dad fought for and You know, I know that there was a place of of love and peace, you know But now as I got older is like I don't want to just dislike someone because of that Yeah, I have nothing to do with that like we're just a totally different So this generation we should be able to like honor the dead and we should be able to like respect the loss that was Was yes lost, but at the same time I I'm always on this mission of healing and I'm always on this mission of like bridging right? We got a bridging we had a bridge it and and you know, it's a complicated thing man. It's a super complex. It's like so so for instance The good way to explain is when I go to Japan like Japan is

43:45You know one of my favorite Tokyo is one of my favorite cities. There's number one It changed my life. They helped me so much, but it's like when you go to Japan They love American Americana American culture And I feel like if you can see the US and Japan Tokyo kind of like Kind of like become one because obviously the soldiers there they're protecting the country It just let you know like Solitaire is where it's at like being able to become one is really where it's at And I think Vietnamese people in Vietnam have a lot easier time loving Vietnamese diaspora people Than the other way around of course. Yeah There's much more younger people in Vietnam who have no recollection of the war and whatever You can argue that the government sort of like represses all that Whatever so they have this like very like loving kind of like We ain't got no beef with you guys but we in in the West have been like You know living with free speech of like our our parents and you know that generation saying like that's the evil

44:50You know empire on the other side So we are like indoctrinated in this wave And I say at this point I'm 50 where I got to I got to really be able to like Take a minute and and look at all the other 50 year old people who grew up alongside me and 55 year old professors who Teach at these universities and a little bit more liberal and a little bit more open and see what they got to say Right, and then also here and respect The former military officers. I was a US Marine as well. Okay. Yeah. Yeah I get all of it. I get all the complexities of it but at the same time I just want to go at all of this with some love that's all and if people are gonna attack us There's just for being like In love with the Vietnamese people all over and just like be very simple about it. Yeah, fuck it Right. That's that's that's my position. Yeah, I think what it is is like How I explain it right now is like It's like a religion in a sense. It's like when

45:51I see people disliking certain people because of their religion right it to me it bothers me because I'm like Just let them be whatever let them believe me whatever their belief is and I just never really understood it because it's like Like one time I took my ex girlfriend to a temple and she was She didn't really want to come in I she's she's she at the time she was Catholic You know she is Catholic. I'm sorry, but she was Catholic. She came in and then my monk was told or like hey like If you guys ever get married don't let it all don't let it happen to be about religion You should tell Khan to go to church with you and learn about let him learn about your religion And if you're ever Want to learn about Buddhism. We're open. You can come visit us too But if you guys be with each other just be with each other don't let the religion get in the way absolutely And I feel like with what's going on like Over there and over here. It's just like a religion thing. It's just like in a sense is like

46:53I'm okay, so I've been This is years ago. I went on a date with this girl in in Japan. She was from Britain so some British girl I met out here. I just we went on a little little dinner date and the whole time I was explaining her about how like damn like Tokyo really loves America like I see a lot of us flags Shops ever yet Americana venture shops everywhere So then she got like offended and she felt like no they like the British more and I was like Now like you really look around like the US US US flags everywhere But I had to explain to her like look. I'm just letting you know. I'm not like This super American. I love America guy like there's a lot of shit about America I did not like and sometimes America does a lot of wax stuff where you don't even feel that great Seeing that flag sometimes you're just for like it just especially with like The president a lot of stuff is going on. You know what I mean? But I try to explain her like hey like I don't really give too much fuss about like America

47:56I'm not like this super. I am a this American guy And then I just was just totally you know, I'm this this whole dinner is getting accountable because I don't care. I'm just living. I'm just living life and I think that Sometimes when you do see certain people that are so involved in that like The flag the South Indian flag now you see all these older guys and The way how they act or certain things that they do it's like I don't even like like fuck with it sometimes like when Like when they storm the capital with the flag and it was some it was some Vietnamese people That own a fault tank restaurant Chicago that I've been to. I was like holy shit. That was damn. They did it Yeah, and I was just like Damn, so it's just like to me. I was just like at a point where I'm like, okay, well You know, I'm I'm still going to love that flag and embrace what it is But as now I'm getting older like it's just like I'm not I'm not going to take this and

49:00tear tear tear tear anyone down like I'm gonna say some superdovied together. I'm gonna say some super controversial Somebody literally called me today and was telling me about some like inviting me to some event And that person was like man, and they're they're you know, they come from where we come from right now Kids of the South Vietnamese government officials, right? It's just like damn I'm more allergic to the yellow flag now than I am to the red flag And that's crazy shit, right? That's that's some crazy shit to say. Yeah, but it's Because of shit like January 6th that us young people are like we don't identify with that shit That's just like way out there, but it's not even that black and white either, right? Because the minute we start talking about flags it becomes really complicated, right? But at the same time, it's like where are we going to be in 10 years when The men's Vietnam soccer team wins You're gonna what do you you're not gonna cheer for the Vietnamese team? I mean, you know what I mean? Right, right. This is one of those things where we really have to think about who we are becoming

50:04So a question I've been asking my guess is in 2026 What do you think the culture of Vietnamese people all over the world is evolving into so What I've I say I've been noticing is It's funny enough My homey that is CJ Strauss manager Recently he posted that he was in Vietnam and he was like He's also black. This is one of his story. I was like, yo, what you doing in Vietnam? He's like Yo like Vietnamese Vietnamese food is like one of my favorite foods. So I just felt like I wanted to celebrate Vietnam during that And hearing him say that to me But I was so embarrassed because I was like damn, that's what I should be doing. Mm-hmm That's what I should be doing and I think sometimes when Some things becomes popular and I guess It's like oh wow people are coming here now. I think people are starting to realize like how unique and dope Vietnam is

51:10And I got to say like the people are there. They're they're making it look fun and then you got You know, obviously a lot of these brands is popping up. You see a lot of these landmarks that's happening and stuff like that I feel like Vietnam is gonna Become a place where People are very interesting to interested in visiting and when you're Because when you become an interesting place That's when people discover. Yeah, right. So I feel like there's gonna be a lot of more discoveries And um Maybe a lot of more guys like myself that's gonna be able to uh go back home and embrace Vietnam and the culture and stuff. I feel like that's something that I haven't got a chance to To do as much and I really want to make it into I'll place that when I look at Tokyo right. I think for my cousins in Vietnam, they're like damn this food in a Went to Tokyo like five times. He's there all the time and never Vietnam, but now he don't go to Vietnam and I think

52:15I used to have problems again. Yeah, yeah, but no, I don't because I understand the complexity Yeah, and then also the thing was was like grown up in the Midwest. It's like It wasn't cool to be Vietnamese That's not about being cool about Vietnamese. It's about like just the traveling side of Vietnam That's like it's like you gotta travel away California How to get to Tokyo you gotta still go to California to get to Tokyo. I get that, but I'm just saying like speaking I like I like being in Los Angeles Yeah, you can skip this quick. It's closer to Asia. That's my thing like close like New York City is my favorite city ever I've always wanted to live in New York City That was my ultimate dream is to be able to live in New York But now someone asked me like why do you love LA so much and my answer is because it's probably sort of Asia It's just closer to Asia and um Yeah, I'm definitely going to be I plan on Going to Vietnam with intentions of going Back and forth. I want to make it more of a hug. I want to make it like the hub that I should have made it music to my ears

53:18You make that place Tokyo to you. You know to me. Yeah, yeah And in Thailand too. I'll do I have some good friends in Thailand and I want to go check out Thailand Highlanders are happy cousin. Yeah, you know Thailand is a highland is the the country that just I mean obviously going through some low stuff now But they've always been a country that just was like Where with Buddha we just chill him. Yeah, we're sure man. I look forward to Whatever you do in the future and I think Let's get you back on when you You know when you're ready to to put out a line or you got some big developments I'm this is what I'm here. Yeah, yeah The line is coming out actually I have a line is coming out and working on some stuff right now. Yeah But yeah, we it's come in um This is one of the jackets I made So the idea of the jacket is very simple a lot of Soldiers back then use bomber jackets to make their souvenir jackets And my thing is if I was a soldier at the time I would have made a mechanics jacket because me and being from the Midwest we wear a lot of like work in mechanics jacket

54:23So he's exactly so this is more like a work jacket But assuming here at the same time, but but it's very Japanese though too like the I feel like the Japanese jackets have like You know these patches right? No, no, no, believe it or not anything that you've seen that the Japanese has put on their jackets eight all like That that style well It all started in the career war a lot of those jackets were also like made but A lot of the Vietnam bomber jackets if you do come across a real Vietnam bomber jacket They go from thousands of dollars really and they said these patches Well, this is embroider in buttery, but in Vietnam the ladies were embroidered by hand They'll be hand in butter So even I'll go to Japan certain stores will have a real official souvenir jacket But they'll want like two to three grand for Yeah, it goes for a lot Just because of the the the age and the time that they spent into making the jacket

55:26Because all of that stuff is all audit all like all hand in butter Got it got it But this is like a jacket that it mimics a hand in buttery That's the thing that the stitching is very like yeah, everything yeah But you're a cool man, and what's the name of the brand? So my brand name is just NGO, okay, and the acronym stands for Nothing grows overnight. I love them. And the brand is just pretty much about my life like I just like a If my life was put into a movie or a clothing line it would be like this, you know Yeah, it's just I think it's just like a way of just saying like grown up people really like It's funny speaking about like grown up being an American like in America Like people question you do question yourself sometimes like they fuck up your name that everything's all this and that so then I would I wouldn't say this but it's like It maybe feel like uncomfortable when people would like say my name or mess it up. Yeah, it just felt like oh man So my whole analogy is creating my last name into a brand and it making it to someone's making it to something that you love

56:29Yeah, yeah, you want to wear so yeah, that's the whole the whole ethos of everything. I love it, man Appreciate you so happy for sure. Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah for sure Thank you for listening to the Vietnamese with Kenneth win Special thanks to Brittany Tran to Jane win Catherine win Tina fam Sydney Jamie and Crystal Trin Please find us on Instagram Facebook and TikTok at the Vietnamese podcast If you are a podcast host listen up this one's for you My name is Ally Jackson I'm the host of Finding Mr. Hyte a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience And I wanted to share another experience that I've had my secret behind monetizing my show It's called Red Circle and I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform with Red Circle Not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales It's not just typical ad sales either It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life and the platform is super simple

57:31You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics more recently too My Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships Bring them full circle I just can't recommend them enough if you want to give it a try go to redcircle.com to get your free trial That's redcircle.com for a free trial Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of big technology podcast a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to CMBC And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives So each week on big technology I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it Asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more So if you want to be smart with your wallet your career choices and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties Listen to big technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts