I’d like to tell you about a project that has meant so much to me during lockdown, and which has brought me so much joy and excitement! ⁣

✨@riceandshine is a fantastic podcast created by 3 Vietnamese-German journalists @vanessa_vu @minhthutran and @trnlin about all things related to the Vietnamese – German life experience. When they contacted me, asking me if I would be interested in designing a pattern that they would use to create masks for their listeners, which would be sewn by Vietnamese seamstresses, who spent the entire lockdown sewing masks and donating them to hospitals, I was absolutely ecstatic. I have rarely felt such perfect alignment in my work, and it meant so much to me that these masks would be created, from conception to production, by Vietnamese people only. It creates such a deep feeling of peace in me to be able to collaborate with people who share the same roots as me and work towards bringing beauty to our community. An ancestral healing and a softening of the heart all at once.⁣

✨We went with a floral pattern to celebrate the podcasters Asian heritage and I picked Daisies for their simplicity and understated elegance. In Feng Shui they symbolize purity and positive energy, and because of the increased Racism that we, the Asian community, had to face since the beginning of the pandemic, it felt like the perfect sentiment to infuse these masks with. I wanted to create something joyful and warm, a bit like a perfect summer day spent laying on the grass full of daisies, feeling held, supported, and safe. I wanted to recreate that feeling of grounding and comfort. ⁣
Lastly we added the name Rice and Shine around the flowers in a hand-drawn style reminiscent of Vietnamese calligraphy. ⁣


✨I hope these masks will bring a sense of safety to those who wear them, not only from the virus but also from knowing that they were dreamt and crafted with tremendous amounts of love and care by people whose generosity, positive intention and inner strength have inspired me, lifted me up, and given me endless hope in humanity. ⁣
✨Head over to @riceandshine to get yours ❤️ They ship worldwide!!!
#babethlafon #asiangirls

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