A touch of Vietnam in Lübeck
What do I really like about Lübeck? Our city is shaped by people who, with their own cultural backgrounds, create something entirely new within its centuries-old walls. Thankfully, this has always been the case. Fresh ideas and goods, new trends and techniques arrived in the city with traveling merchants and craftsmen from many parts of the world.
Für die Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN besuche ich heute das Mong Studio in der Fleischhauerstraße 48 und spreche mit den Inhaberinnen Doan Trang Nguyen und Linh An Tran. Mutter und Tochter mit vietnamesischen Wurzeln, kreative Partnerinnen, zwei Lübeckerinnen mit ganz viel Gespür für die Übertragung traditioneller vietnamesischer und asiatischer Designs in eine moderne Formensprache. Zwei Frauen, die das Beste aus zwei Welten verbinden und damit in einer Reihe mit den Vielen stehen, die Lübecks Gesicht prägten.
Free space and serenity
My curiosity was piqued by the small shop during a spring stroll through the old town, which, as is well known, boasts a considerable number of jewelers. Some have been there for decades. This shop seemed new. My gaze fell upon the tastefully decorated window: a small ceramic bowl with a pearl necklace whispered to me:
"Just look. I'm a beauty who doesn't need a grand setting. You'll find more of my kind inside."
And just like that, I was standing in the shop. The understated interior design immediately captivated me: a large brick wall provides the perfect backdrop for the handcrafted treasures displayed on wooden tables. Simple colors and an uncluttered design, just the way I like it: a vase here, a few individually arranged flowering branches there. The owners were working in the next room, and I learned that Mong Studio had actually only opened in March 2024. I decided to come back with a bit more time for an interview. And here we are!
Kaito and Mong
Unter dem Dach des Geschäfts sind zwei verschiedenen Schmuckdesigns zuhause. Kaito, die Marke, unter der Doan Trang ihren Perlenschmuck anbietet und Mong, die Gold- und Silberschmucklinie, die Linh An entwickelt hat. Das Sortiment ergänzt eine erlesene Auswahl vietnamesischer Keramikprodukte, die Doan Trang von ihren Reisen mitbringt. Zeitlose Eleganz zeichnet diese handgefertigten Produkte aus.
The story of this mother-daughter duo began several years ago. Initially, Doan Trang, a trained fashion designer from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), sewed clothes and bags from fabrics she brought back from her travels to Vietnam. During the pandemic, she discovered her passion for creating jewelry from high-quality beads. At the time, Linh An was still attending the School of Applied Arts in Lübeck, from which she graduated in 2021. It's no surprise that Linh An inherited her mother's creative streak. Working with her hands has always been very fulfilling for her: knitting, crocheting, drawing, designing, photographing, and macramé. In 2022, Linh An's heart truly began to beat for jewelry making.
Less is more
Sitting in comfortable armchairs with a cup of tea, Linh An tells me that she taught herself most of her skills. She is a serious and thoughtful young woman who can immerse herself in specialist literature for hours. Her intensive self-study is far from over. Currently, Linh An is working with the so-called "lost wax casting" method. This lost-wax casting technique is thousands of years old and used to create delicate jewelry. She simply enjoys experimenting and has thus developed her own unique style. The young designer recently completed a three-month advanced training course in South Vietnam.
Being able to draw inspiration from both cultures is a great privilege for her. Linh An browses through art books and books on Asian art, considering how she can incorporate traditional motifs and centuries-old stories from her family's homeland into her unique pieces. Every trace of the creative process bears Linh An's signature and forms the basis for unique creations in silver and high-carat gold. These delicate beauties are allowed to be imperfect and tell their own story.
Design in the Dornse
Gleich neben dem Verkaufsraum befindet sich das Atelier der beiden Kunsthandwerkerinnen. In einer für ein Lübecker Kaufleutehaus so typischen ehemaligen Dornse. So bezeichnete man einen beheizten Raum, der für Zusammenkünfte oder als Kontor diente. 1295 wurde das Gebäude erstmals urkundlich erwähnt. Der Knochenhauer Jacob van Kile ist demnach der erste bekannte Eigentümer dieses Grundstücks. Seit damals wechselte es selbstredend mehrfach den Besitzer und bot über die Jahrhunderte Generationen von Menschen eine Heimat. Welche Ideen wurden hier wohl schon entwickelt? Heute jedenfalls tüfteln zwei engagierte Frauen an einzigartigen Designs.
Ihr Blick fällt durch die Glasfenster in den sommerlich begrünten Innenhof. Und immer gehen die Gedanken auch nach Vietnam, wo noch ein Teil der Familie lebt. Mong leitet sich übrigens vom Bergvolk der Hmong ab, das hauptsächlich in den bergigen Regionen Vietnams, Laos, Thailands und Chinas lebt. Sie sind berühmt für ihre kunstvollen Stickereien, ihre farbenfrohen Trachten und ihre außergewöhnliche Fähigkeit, aus einfachen Materialien wahre Kunstwerke zu schaffen. Passt doch wunderbar!
The owners share their creative process with their followers, including on Instagram. How do you best care for your pearls? How does an idea become a finished piece of jewelry? Where do the materials come from and how sustainable are they? Get a first impression online and then visit the studio in Lübeck's old town to talk to Doan Trang and Linh An.
