A journey toward passion

After more than 15 years of hectic corporate life, Minh Thu, Ngoc My, and Thanh Huyen - three friends born in the 1980s - chose to make a change.

They turned to a small workshop where they could pour their love into every stitch and bead, crafting delicate, handcrafted brooches.

These three close friends once had enviable jobs. My was a broadcast director, Huyen worked in education and training, while Thu (My’s older sister) was a telecommunications technician. Today, all three live and work in Hanoi.

Although they were competent at their jobs for many years, they found no joy in their routines. Constantly chasing deadlines and dragging themselves out of the office in exhaustion, they kept asking themselves: “Can I really do this for the rest of my life?”

One day, they decided to listen to their hearts, step out of their comfort zones, and search for something they genuinely loved.

“We tried baking, floral arrangements, paper flowers, clay flowers... but nothing stuck for long,” My recalled.

Until one day, she stumbled upon a video by an international artisan making handmade brooches. In that moment, she saw a spark of light.

She realized that in Vietnam, brooches were not widely used, and most were mass-produced. Handmade pieces with unique designs were extremely rare.

From then on, she couldn’t stop thinking about creating brooches that were not only beautiful and unique, but also told the story of finding one’s passion.

“I started researching, bought materials, and gave it a try. My first stitches were clumsy, the threads tangled, and the beads sat unevenly... But strangely, I felt pure joy,” My said.

The joy of creation

That joy became the driving force behind her determination to keep learning and improving every day.

She set personal goals: to be more creative, more skillful with her hands, and more precise with her eyes.

In 2022, My officially opened a small brooch workshop in a tiny alley off Nguyen Cong Hoan Street in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, joined by her sister Thu and friend Huyen.

To the three women, the small studio - filled with glittering beads, colorful design sketches, and half-finished brooches - became their daily source of happiness.

Every stitch tells a unique story

The brooches created by the trio are entirely handmade.

From sketching the design, choosing materials, color coordination, to sewing beads, every step is meticulously done by hand.

Each brooch carries the love, passion, and attention to detail of its creator.

“Every brooch we make is one-of-a-kind. There are designs we only make once - no duplicates.

Even the popular pieces, we don’t reproduce. We don’t want to become mass-production machines. Creating and innovating gives us purpose and joy,” Thu explained.

Each product represents hours - sometimes even days or weeks - of dedicated, meticulous labor.

Some brooches take weeks to complete, from ideation to final stitches.

“We’re extremely selective with our materials. We use Miyuki beads from Japan, Swarovski crystals from Austria, designer pearls, and custom feathers... Behind every bead and crystal is a story of discovery,” Huyen shared.

She added that in their small workshop, they’ve experienced everything from intense planning meetings to production issues and delivery delays.

There were times they waited all day without a single order. Sometimes, imported materials were lost in transit.

Yet despite all that, they constantly kept their minds active - always thinking of new ways to make each design fresh and exciting.

“And in those late nights, the lights in our workshop stayed on. We’d stay up with our beads and shimmering crystals,” My said.

Passion and sisterhood fuel their journey

Their love for the craft and their unity have kept them going.

They consistently lift each other up when anyone feels discouraged.

Now, instead of typing reports and attending corporate meetings, their days begin by arranging trays of tiny beads, threading needles, and selecting fabrics.

Their modest workshop is just big enough for the three women to pour their hearts into what they love most.

To them, it’s simply “a different kind of office” - one that’s more vibrant, fragrant with fabric, filled with the soft clicks of beads, and grounded in the belief that even small things, when fueled by passion, can shape a meaningful story.