This story was published as part of a partnership between Atmos and PhotoVogue in the lead-up to the 2025 edition of the PhotoVogue Festival, The Tree of Life: A Love Letter to Nature. The festival will take place in Milan from March 6–9, 2025.

It is widely acknowledged among Vietnamese that the lotus silk embodies the cultural and spiritual essence of Vietnam. The rare and delicate textile is a source of pride for local artisans, and is deeply rooted in the country’s traditions and craft.

The abundance of the lotus, Vietnam’s national flower, makes it an accessible raw material, but transforming it into silk is an intricate and time-consuming process. Artisans use sustainable and handcrafted methods to extract fine threads from lotus stems, and weave them into a fabric renowned for its softness and durability. 

But beyond its material value, lotus silk is a reflection of Vietnamese heritage. The process of making it is as much about craftsmanship as it is about preserving a way of life that emphasizes harmony with nature. The lotus itself has long been a symbol of purity and resilience in Vietnamese culture, and its transformation into silk adds another layer of meaning—connecting artisans to their ancestors and passing down a legacy of devotion and creativity.

With the lotus blooming only once a year between May and June, the window for producing this extraordinary silk is fleeting. 

In pursuit of this story, I traveled to My Duc district in the country’s capital, Hanoi, to meet Phan Thi Thuan, a dedicated 70-year-old artisan who has spent years perfecting the craft of turning lotus fibers into silk. As she works, she sings the traditional songs of her ancestors; with each rhythmic motion of her hands, she weaves not only delicate silk, but the spirit of generations before her.