For Folksight, we translated the story of West Lake lotus tea into an illustrated world of giant lotus flowers, tiny tea makers and playful movement. Appearing on scarves and clothing, the artwork brings a Vietnamese craft into everyday life, inviting people to wear the story and discover it as they go.
Folktales’ role: Cultural research, concept development, illustration direction and finished artwork.
The brief
Develop an illustration inspired by Hanoi's lotus tea craft, with enough character to stand on its own and enough flexibility to work across fashion products.
The creative challenge was to make the craft visible in a composition that felt engaging and wearable. Lotus flowers, people and the tea-making process needed to contribute to one story.
Finding the story inside the lotus
Our research led us to lotus tea makers around West Lake. Records of their work revealed early-morning lotus harvests, the careful separation of the fragrant stamens known as gạo sen, and the patient process of scenting tea.
These small gestures became the starting point for the artwork: actions to bring into the image, connections to explore, and a human story within a natural landscape.
The Bách Diệp lotus sits at the center of the composition. Its layers of petals open up spaces for the story to unfold: places to gather, work, travel and rest.
From research to an imagined world
We changed the relationships of scale. Lotus flowers tower over tiny figures carrying baskets and making tea. A petal becomes a boat. Water droplets rest on lotus leaves, while birds move among the flowers.
This was our way of interpreting lotus tea making through imagination. The familiar movements of the tea makers ground the story; the shift in scale adds lightness and invites curiosity.
A large teapot connects the activities around it. It links the lotus and its fragrance to the drink they produce, while giving the composition a clear focal point.
An image to see from a distance and explore up close
At the sketch stage, we established the relationships between the main flowers, the teapot and the small figures before color added depth.
Pink lotus petals, green leaves, pale purple shadows and warm yellow water create a bright, layered scene. Large shapes of flowers and foliage help the image stand out from a distance. Smaller details gradually reveal the work taking place within it.
That balance matters when the artwork moves onto fabric. A scarf is folded, tied and draped, so people often see only part of the image. The large flowers keep it engaging in different ways of wearing it, while the smaller scenes reward the moments when the scarf opens out.
From finished artwork to everyday life
The finished applications show the artwork on square scarves and shirts. Each format reveals a different relationship between flowers, figures and color.
The complete composition and its separate illustrated details offer several ways to use the same story. The scarf holds the whole scene; clothing brings its details into motion.
For Folksight, the result is a product story rooted in a specific place and craft, with a visual language that can develop across formats. Cultural research provides the material; concept development connects it to products that can be used and enjoyed every day.
The same artwork worn as a scarf and applied to a shirt.
Bring a cultural story into your next collection.
Have a story in mind? We help shape the concept and creative direction. Start with a free 30-minute call to find the right approach for your project.