Kristina Truong's New Footwear Label LAN MAI Is an Ode to Heritage and Healing
“If you want to build something that’s truly yours, start by honoring every version of you that got you here.”
In our fear of facing the past, we poison the present and forfeit our future. It’s when we look within ourselves and embrace every version of our becoming that we’re able to live the life we’ve carefully carved out in our dreams. LAN MAI arrives this month as a radiant reminder of what happens when self-acceptance becomes a part of your story. Conceived in the creative vision of Kristina Truong, the NYC-based brand marks its first appearance this May as a reflection of the road toward self-reclamation that Truong has embarked on.
It all began with the name – one that Truong carries as her own middle name, rooted in her Vietnamese heritage. At first, she kept it tucked away in the shadows – not yet prepared to claim that part of her identity, a choice made to further assimilate into American culture. However, as she stepped into her purpose as the founder and creative director of LAN MAI, she found herself not only reconnected to her heritage, but reignited as an artist. With “TETHER & TIDE,” the brand’s debut collection, Truong channeled a creative spirit she had long kept hidden while working in the corporate world. Though she studied art direction in undergrad, the Texas native went on to pursue a more sensible path – working in brand partnerships and closing deals.
Despite the deviation from her heart’s deepest desires, her corporate career provided the financial footing for her first footwear line – leading the way for a bold leap into LAN MAI. For her first foray into footwear, Truong introduces three silhouettes – the Jetty, the Drift and the Twin – each a signature style inspired by Southeast Asian scenery and American street style, all carefully crafted by artisans in Italy.
For this installment of Baes With Kicks, we sit down with Truong to trace her path toward self-confidence – a healing journey that took her through Saigon, Milan and NYC – all culminating in the creation of LAN MAI.
Continue scrolling for the full conversation and check out LAN MAI’s debut collection, “TETHER & TIDE,” featuring the Jetty, the Drift and the Twin silhouettes available today on the brand’s website.
Name: Kristina Truong
Location: New York City
Occupation: Creative Director and Founder, LAN MAI
What was the driving force behind your decision to transition from corporate to launching LAN MAI?
I was working in brand partnerships, essentially a glamorized version of ad sales. After years of chasing the high of closing deals, followed by lulls of waiting for the next, I realized that wasn’t how I wanted to hustle forever. I had built my career working at the kinds of publications that shaped the zeitgeist, bridging global Fortune 500 advertisers with rising creatives and women of color, helping big brands borrow cultural power.
Ironically, while I thought success meant climbing the corporate ladder, I was most inspired by the very women I was platforming, those emerging from underground scenes who boldly shared their work with the world. I saw myself in them, just older and still playing it safe. I had buried my creative side to follow a linear, corporate path. But once the work started to feel creatively empty, I reflected on what I was good at, what lit me up, and what brought in the most value throughout my career: working alongside fearless women in art, fashion, music, and sports who dared to fill the gap in their male-dominated industries.
I realized I no longer wanted to be the person behind the scenes, brokering dollars for others; I wanted to be the creative. I had studied art direction in undergrad, but lacked the confidence back then to express myself publicly. Leaving corporate gave me the space to find a stronger sense of self. I moved to Vietnam, my parents’ homeland, and immersed myself in the culture. That journey helped me find clarity, purpose, and the courage to create something of my own. LAN MAI is the result–my unfiltered design language, my story, and my way of taking up space in an industry that often overlooks voices like mine.
At what point did you discover the designer side to your identity?
It’s been a three-part journey. I’ve always had an eye for aesthetics, something I inherited from my mother, my forever style icon. I was fascinated by quality materials, how fabrics drape, and how unexpected elements could come together in harmony, like a form of mixed media. In my twenties, no lie, I became the go-to friend who art-directed our group photos. A good friend even said, “Kris, you should seriously consider a career in art direction.” That small moment gave me the confidence to keep creating.
But the real turning point came during COVID, confined in my Brooklyn studio apartment. I started exploring character animation, something I’d never done before. I began designing a 2D character as a kind of alter ego and started creating videos where she appeared alongside my real-life self. “We” were layered into the same frame, in conversation with each other! That process unlocked something in me. I wasn’t just making things, I was designing with intention, joy, and a sense of authorship over my own visual language. Over time, I also realized that design is more than creativity. It’s math, engineering, and problem-solving. Every material, bonding method, and construction choice is deliberate. That’s when it clicked. My dual strengths in art and science come together in design. It’s where I feel most whole.
You’ve described LAN MAI as a “luxury playhouse,” where the storytelling comes to life through style while creating a world of its own. What inspired you to add that intricate layer to the brand?
From a brand messaging standpoint, I wanted to touch on the core theme of opposing forces while merging the two things I love most: luxury and play. I respect quality-made goods, but I wanted to strip away the stiffness that often comes with luxury. My style is playful and expressive. I wear colorful accessories, rompers, co-ords, statement pieces. I’ve traveled the world off the beaten path to 47 countries, loving beautiful things but always with a sense of curiosity and grit.
The idea of a “luxury playhouse” came from imagining a world where joy and sophistication coexist, where style tells stories, and identity isn’t boxed in. I think others are hungry for that kind of freedom, too. And there’s more on the horizon, just y’all wait!
Your debut collection, “TETHER & TIDE,” focuses on footwear, specifically heeled and flat sandals with tech-derived design details. Talk to us about your approach to designing footwear and the different inspirations for the Jetty, the Drift and the Twin silhouettes.
At the core of the “TETHER & TIDE” collection is a deliberate tension between tradition and innovation. I wanted to merge Italian luxury craftsmanship with the edge of techwear and gorpcore. The palette draws from Southeast Asian landscapes, while the design language reflects my American street style. Sourcing was a journey in itself. Italian factories are masters of leather, but finding suppliers for experimental components meant attending trade shows around the world. The real challenge, and honestly the thrill, was pushing Italy’s artisanal system to embrace something new.
Each silhouette tells a piece of that story. The Jetty is the most feminine, “grounded” in elegance, but with edge. It features a rubberized heel, mesh upper, and injected rubber sole. It’s named after Surfside Jetty Beach in my Texas hometown. The Drift is sportier and more street, a nod to the shapeshifters and those always in motion. A dainty upper contrasts with a chunky sole, oversized cordstop, and graffiti-inspired black-and-white cords. The Twin is the most design-forward. Named after my mom, Tuyền (often mispronounced as “Twin”), it plays on duality with double straps and an architectural-looking heel.
To bring “TETHER & TIDE” to life, you worked closely with skilled artisans in Italy and fully immersed yourself in the design and development process. What were your biggest takeaways seeing footwear design up close?
The art of surrendering. I loved every part of the design process, from concepting to sketching to sourcing things that meet the eye, even nerding out over 3D-printed heels and biomechanical engineering. I felt like I had found my calling. But development is where things got real. It’s by far one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. As a small brand, you’re constantly at the mercy of other people’s timelines–suppliers, factories, contractors, all with their own pace, politics, and priorities. You can plan everything down to a T, but minimum order quantities shift, components get discontinued, and delays are inevitable. I’ve learned to surrender, be solutions-forward, cry about it, then be about it.
Another takeaway is having a strong support system. You’re going to need it! My close circle was with me every step of the way. I mean… every… single… step. Footwear development is not for the faint of heart.
LAN MAI blends American street culture with your Vietnamese heritage, while being made in Milan, Italy. How is that multicultural essence further emphasized in the “TETHER & TIDE” collection?
Making this debut collection, let alone the brand, was deeply personal. I was floating between countries, leaving behind my community in New York City, moving to the Mekong Delta to live with extended family I barely knew, settling in Saigon without knowing a single person, and grounding myself in Milan during development, again without a network. It was isolating, but profoundly life-changing.
“TETHER & TIDE” speaks to that emotional state of disorientation, dissonance, discovery, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going. The name itself captures what I couldn’t always put into words: a life shaped by movement, unexpected connections, and finding pieces of home in unfamiliar places. Every detail in this collection carries a trace of that journey, bits and pieces pulled from all the places and moments that made me.
As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, did you have to overcome any fears when stepping into the fashion industry?
Absolutely. Feeling othered is something I was just born into in America, and that naturally instills a fear you spend your adult life unwiring. It’s not just fashion, I’ve carried that feeling into every industry I’ve worked in, especially in male-dominated ones like music, sports, streetwear, and tech. Witnessing the rise of other Vietnamese-Americans in media, often younger than me, has been a huge confidence boost. There aren’t many to look to. Vietnam’s history is still so young. Our diaspora only began 50 years ago, and our last emperor died in 1997. There’s still so much ground to cover.
Living in Vietnam, visiting the mausoleums, museums, and pagodas helped me understand our roots. That gave me the courage to come back West and build something unapologetically ours. I’m learning to step into that power, and to finally say it with my chest!
What words of advice would you give to creatives who are afraid to put themselves out there, but dream of building something of their own – like LAN MAI?
Remember to document your life! I look back at old photo albums and archived posts, and think, dang, that was cool. Even if your identity has changed, those moments are still part of your blueprint. We often try to disassociate from our past selves, but knowing them is essential. It’s the homework, the prerequisite, to developing your own design language. If you want to build something that’s truly yours, start by honoring every version of you that got you here.
