Close Up: Yến-Nhi in the New Balance 2002R

You’re an incredibly talented creative, moving between documentaries, creative writing and modelling to name just a few- where do fashion and sneakers fit in between all of that?

I came from a background where my parents, as first-generation immigrants were in survival mode so museums were not an interest in my environment. So, my first encounter with fashion was when I started studying it, that was such a big eye-opener for me because in fashion school I got in touch with subjects such as art, architecture, a whole new world opened up for me. But growing up I did have an interest in sneakers, I used to intern and work for sneaker stores. One summer, I was hugely into shoes and worked my ass off for a pair with leopard print.

In your documentary, “The Scars of War”, you mention that striking out and finding your own sense of self was difficult- could you tell us a little about that?

My Vietnamese parents were extremely strict, what was so difficult about that is the very strong visions of what my life was supposed to look like. My mom had this view of how a woman is supposed to look and her definition of being a woman was very traditional. And that was just not me, not me at all. An example is my hair, traditional Vietnamese women are often seen with long hair, which is also what my mom expected of me. But at some point when I was fifteen, I cut my hair short and it’s been short ever since.

How important have sneakers and fashion been in terms of self-expression for you?

During my childhood I kind of had to hold off on who I was, now I'm trying to make up for all of the time that I lost. Looking back, expression was very important to me, I always wanted to experiment with makeup and with the way that I dress, and I just remember my parents telling me, “Oh your clothes are so weird”. But that was just me, going through these very necessary phases in order to find out who I was. I’ve always been someone who explored the boundaries between femininity and masculinity, but I preferred sneakers over heels, oversized over tight big time.

Growing up in the Netherlands what were some of your biggest style influences and what kind of sub-cultures did you gravitate towards?

I think I've been through a lot of phases in my life, the first and most awkward one being my emo/Harajuku-style. I went to high school in these very ‘kawaii’ dresses with big, pink ribbons and Hello Kitty accessories. During this period I had a huge crush on Bill from Tokio Hotel, but also on some of the members of Big Bang. That was a really fun time because I was also in touch with Asian culture in a way.

After high school, I started to develop a strong interest in sneaker culture and streetwear, and I was a big fan of Stüssy and Patta. This is also around the same time I started working and interning for sneaker stores. After I moved out of home, I started to go out more and felt super free and able to be myself around rave culture. This is when my love for techno and house or electronic music, in general, started blossoming. Nowadays, I can strongly see the influence of those subcultures in me still.