If Fancì Club’s designs are anything to go by, a bra is no longer just a wired contraption that lifts and supports your breasts. It’s a fashion statement in its own right. You might have noticed the humble brassiere on show at many a runway, including Simone Rocha, Prada and Versace. Having your bra straps showing was once thought to spoil a look (anti-big boob propaganda, I say), prompting the use of boob tape and strapless bras, but it seems like now it’s cool to have the entire bra on show.
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One of the brands behind this fashion trend is Fancì Club, a Vietnamese label founded by Duy Tran (Trần Khánh Duy). Duy began the label in 2018 as a small upcycling project, sourcing overlooked thrifted pieces and transforming them into entirely new designs. He has always had a soft spot for the “bold, expressive aesthetics” of the ‘90s and ‘00s. “Our designs often play with structure and softness, like corsetry, sculpted silhouettes, and delicate details, creating a balance between the feeling of power and vulnerability,” Duy tells Glamour UK.
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Originally called Fancy Thrift, the name was inspired by the 2014 hit Fancy – courtesy of Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX. During that era, Charli had a cult following but was nowhere near as famous as she is now. Once under-appreciated, now an It Girl. Are there some poetic parallels between her and FANCì’s own trajectory, perhaps? Over time, Duy’s more experimental, thrifted approach turned into the clothing brand we know now, FANCì CLUB. The name stayed, but the short “i” and accent mark on it are a subtle way to show the Vietnamese pronunciation.
Wearing underwear as outerwear is something that was heavily explored in FANCì’s S/S26 collection, shown last June. “This direction has always been part of FANCì’s visual language: using intimacy as a form of expression rather than provocation,” explains Duy. But his latest collection, titled “Renaked”, featured more of an explicit focus on underwear. Corsets were worn on their own with nothing on the bottom except tights. Sheer skirts revealed bright panties underneath. One standout piece was a lilac corset overlaid with a red lace bra, which would end up being worn by both Dua Lipa and Paloma Elsesser.
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