Nguyen Phu Tung has chosen to transform the humble, rustic loofah fiber into unique handcrafted products—carrying the soul of the Vietnamese countryside into markets around the world.
Unique handmade products
Nguyen Phu Tung, 44, resident of Ea Kao Ward, Dak Lak Province, was tending his material garden on a late August morning. Beneath lush green vines sagging with gourds, Tung deftly selected the finest ones. “Each gourd here will become a handbag, a hat, even a wall painting—not only sold domestically but also traveling to Europe and America,” he said with quiet pride.
From a household item once familiar only to homemakers, Tung has reinvented loofah fiber into fashion accessories and lifestyle goods, establishing his brand Loofaa on the international stage.
He recalls how the idea struck him in 2022: while browsing a market, he noticed bundles of dried loofah being sold merely as scouring pads. “Why not elevate this into eco-friendly products?” he thought. That spark led him and his collaborators to experiment, producing sandals, hats, handbags, and even artworks from loofahs.
The early days were fraught with challenges. Clean loofah was hard to source, and the processing was even more exacting. After harvesting, the gourds had to be soaked, peeled, sun-dried to a crisp, split, de-seeded, then pressed into molds—every step demanding precision and patience. Tung and his team resolved to keep the process entirely “clean,” requiring farmers to cultivate organically, with absolutely no chemicals.
That commitment has paid off. His products, eco-friendly yet distinctive, quickly found a receptive market and a growing customer base.
Today, Tung’s small workshop employs 14 workers, including ten seamstresses, producing nearly 20 different items each day—from handbags and hats to sandals and wall art. The workshop hums with the buzz of sewing machines mingled with laughter. One long-time designer, Y Eli Buon Krong, meticulously painted motifs onto a handbag as he shared: “We draw inspiration from our homeland—buffaloes, lotus ponds, the communal Rong house (a variation of stilt houses unique to the Central Highlands of Vietnam)—and bring them into our designs. Seeing these familiar images reimagined on loofah fiber feels like reviving our cultural heritage.”
After just over a year, Loofaa products had reached many provinces and cities across Vietnam. In 2024, Tung boldly introduced them in Paris. To his surprise, Western customers were enchanted by the rustic charm, eco-friendliness, and creativity of the loofah bags and hats. “From Paris, the products found their way to the US and South Korea. That gave us confidence that loofah from Dak Lak can stand alongside other natural materials on the global market,” Tung said with pride.
Sustainable livelihoods for farmers
More than just a personal startup, Tung’s vision has opened new opportunities for local farmers. Loofaa now partners with eight households, cultivating over 10 hectares of loofah, providing stable income for participating families.
Introducing her lush garden, H’Wen Eban, 26, a farmer in Thanh Nhat Ward, shared enthusiastically, “In the past, we sold loofah to traders—sometimes at a profit, often at a loss. My family’s 2,000 square meters brought in only about VND25-30 million per harvest. Since signing with the company, loofahs have been sold steadily at VND5,000 each. We expanded to one hectare, and now each harvest earns VND70-80 million. Life is far more secure.”
The green vines now yield not just fruit but also hope—for a sustainable livelihood and a brighter future for local farmers.
Amid his busy schedule, Tung cherishes a simple memory: his mother scrubbing dishes with a loofah in their modest kitchen. “I want to preserve that memory in every product, to show today’s young generation that from the simplest things, we can create new value,” he reflected.
For Tung, loofah is more than a business. It is a bridge between memory and the present, between traditional culture and the modern green-living movement. He plans to expand cultivation areas, engage more farming households, and strengthen exports—so that Loofaa from Dak Lak will be recognized by friends around the globe.
