Sheer Bliss

Celeb-adored brand Fancì Club plays with Mesh

Written by Erin Galioto, Fashion Editorial Director Graphic by Riya Shah, Contributing Graphic Artist

As consumers are becoming more aware of their eff ect on the environment and the impact of fast fashion consumption, we are shifting toward recycling clothing through activities like thrifting and DIY. Inspired by the desire to use recycled scraps in high fashion, 22-year-old, Vietnamese designer Khanh Duy Tran created Fancì Club in 2020.1 His designs push the boundaries of the ultra-sexy, nearly-naked movement as he looks to empower women to love even the more “hush-hush” parts of their bodies.2

A nod to the Y2K resurgence, Fancì Club garments include low-rise pants and corsets3 and feature heavy use of nylon, ruffl es, ties, bows and fur in colors that will make your heart swell. Tran’s ultimate goal with Fancì Club is to promote the beauty of the naked body and spark conversations about the limits of risqué, nude fashion.4

“I’m trying to create a revolution with Fancì Club,” he told British Vogue. “I’d like to normalize showing taboo parts of the body including—and not limited to—the buttocks. I hope my designs encourage people to love themselves.”5

Tran highlights Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood “and myself” as his style icons.6 But Tran’s true muse for his work, “comes from appreciating the beauty within forgotten things, my surroundings and nature.

1 Blair, Sonia. “Where to Buy FanciClub: The Vietnamese Brand to Know.” RUSSH, RUSSH Magazine, 18 July 2022, 2 Gilchrist, Ava. “Meet FANCÌ Club, the Hot New Label Loved by Supermodels and Pop Sensations Alike.” ELLE, Are Media PTY Limited, 15 July 2022 3 Blair, Sonia. “Where to Buy FanciClub: The Vietnamese Brand to Know.” RUSSH, RUSSH Magazine, 18 July 2022, 4 Subair, Eni. “Discover the Brand Taking the ‘Naked’ Dress to New Extremes.” British Vogue, Condé Nast, 14 Feb. 2022 5 Ibid. 6 Blair, Sonia. “Where to Buy FanciClub: The Vietnamese Brand to Know.” RUSSH, RUSSH Magazine, 18 July 2022 Most of my pieces were inspired by the materials I bought from the thrift market that day” he said.7

As a Gen Z designer, Tran is an avid thrifter and has always dreamed of creating his own sustainable fashion brand.8 Fancì Club’s handmade, custom pieces fi rst appeared on Depop and are curated in Vietnam from sourced deadstock, thrifted and damaged fabrics.9 But the fabric is not the only unique part of Tran’s design process. In sort of a “Charlie Brown” Christmas Tree fashion, Tran haphazardly pieces, shuffl es and sews on these fabrics until he is happy with the fi nal product. On average, the construction process for a single garment only takes 15 minutes.10 Tran created his 15 piece collection “His Ring and Her Edge” in just two weeks.11

His latest collection, “The Lethal Roses,” is a mesh dream, featuring dramatic evening gowns, two-piece sets, draping full-length tops and semi-sheer low rise pants. Several pieces feature the delicate, oversized rose motif that cascades into long, waterfalling ruffl es.

Fancì Club has matured exponentially since its conception on Depop. Bella Hadid is working overtime to secure her spot as number-one fan of the brand; she frequently appears photographed and posts on Instagram in Tran’s designs. Hailey Bieber wore cus-

7 Maitland, Hayley. “Hailey Bieber & Kendall Jenner Just Raised the Bar for Summer Party Dressing.” British Vogue, Condé Nast, 18 June 2022 8 Blair, Sonia. “Where to Buy FanciClub: The Vietnamese Brand to Know.” RUSSH, RUSSH Magazine, 18 July 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Subair, Eni. “Discover the Brand Taking the ‘Naked’ Dress to New Extremes.” British Vogue, Condé Nast, 14 Feb. 2022. tom Fancì Club to her Rhode Makeup launch party and Olivia Rodrigo wore the “Bad Sheep” corset to her “driving home 2 u” premiere.12 Other members of the A-list fan club include Emma Chamberlain, Doja Cat, Rosalia, Elsa Hosk and Kali Uchis.13

Looking to jump on the bandwagon? With most pieces ranging from $150$300, Fancì Club falls on the aff ordable end of celebrity-worn brands and it is worth taking a look to invest in pieces for a special occasion. ■

12 Maitland, Hayley. “Hailey Bieber & Kendall Jenner Just Raised the Bar for Summer Party Dressing.” British Vogue, Condé Nast, 18 June 2022, Grimes, Collette. “Olivia Rodrigo Wears a Girly Corset to ‘Driving Home 2 U’ Premiere.” HYPEBAE, Hyperbeast Limited, 25 Mar. 2022, 13 Gilchrist, Ava. “Meet FANCÌ Club, the Hot New Label Loved by Supermodels and Pop Sensations Alike.” ELLE, Are Media PTY Limited, 15 July 2022.