Meet Hien Truong | Artist, Designer & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hien Truong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hien, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Phở Luv is a celebration of my Vietnamese American culture. The brand is a combination of the 3 things I hold near and dear to my heart (and stomach) art, comfort food, and being able to give back to the community. “Phở” is a well loved Vietnamese noodle soup, which was the inspiration for my first character art. From this character, grew a whole table spread of cute characters like Bún Bò Bae, Drip Cà Phê, cheeky Bánh Mì, and many more!

My own childhood experience as a refugee immigrant shaped my desire to give back through my art, especially for the children. I remember the feeling of hunger, and how food could bring comfort and security. That’s why a portion of Phở Luv’s earnings goes to non-profit programs that feed children. Phở Luv isn’t just about Vietnamese food, it’s about the universal comfort that food brings us, regardless of background.

Through our stationery, apparel, and plushie offerings, I hope to share that love, create joy, and spark smiles. Phở Luv is a world where my characters understand and connect with you through humor and witty puns. It’s a place where laughter and nostalgia mingle, and where you can “play with your food” in an emotional way. Like how a warm bowl of phở soothes you from the inside, reminding you that you’re not alone and that you are loved 🙂

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Pursuing art and design was not an easy path, as it was frowned upon as a career option by my traditional immigrant parents. Despite pushback, I paved the way for myself to go to FIDM in the 90’s and was eventually hired by Guess, Mervyn’s/Target, Bebe, and Disney, to name a few. I’ve spent the last 30 years in the fashion industry, largely as a ghost designer, helping build up major brands. There came a point where I was ready to invest my time, energy, and love into my passion project, that’s when Phở Luv was born!

My love for cartoons, with their bright colors and ability to evoke emotions without words, heavily influenced my artistic style. Growing up as an immigrant child, cartoons were a source of comfort for me, and actually taught me a majority of my English! The bright, cheerful style of Phở Luv carries that influence, along with inspiration from pop art. But unlike many cartoons, I want Phở Luv to give a voice to the Vietnamese American experience.

To anyone who is thinking about pursuing their dreams, just start. We started with only a few greeting cards and stickers (and only restocked inventory when the suppliers had promotional discounts). Slowly we built up our assortment of offerings through seeing what the best sellers were. Lastly, you would be surprised how many people are willing to support you in this journey. We’ve made some great Phở’riends through putting ourselves out there on social media and DMing!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is such a big place to explore and would require a few days!

We’d start our day off in the heart of Chinatown, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere. Our first stop would be Thien Huong on Broadway for a steaming bowl of their famous phở. After that we’d head right across the street to grab a refreshing sugarcane juice to cool down. Feeling energized, we’d wander through the central plaza, checking out all the unique trinket shops and soaking in the sights.

Next day we’d hop over to Silver Lake, Bé Ù – Vietnamese Street Food & Comfort Food is known for their delicious bánh mì’s, so we’d grab one and head to the LA State Historic Park, conveniently located right back in Chinatown, to enjoy our lunch in a beautiful setting. And then we’d go to Tea Master in Little Tokyo for a matcha soft serve (one of the best around!)

Time for an Orange County trip for a taste of Hue Oi’s famous Bún bò Huế! No L.A. food crawl would be complete without some salted egg Viet Coffee at NẾP Cafe. While we digest we’d head over to Little Saigon Village and look around at the shops for a souvenir.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shoutout the Pho Luv team, aka my family, all the the Phở lovers, Red Boat Fish Sauce Phamily, and Chris at Little Saigon. To everyone who has supported my business on Etsy and in person events, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to my husband and daughter who have completely and vigorously supported me from day one- from event setups, shipping orders, and late night design sessions. A major shout out to Tracy, Kevin, and Tiffany for trusting me to bring their fish sauce character to life and collaborate with them on so many amazing projects. And gratitude for Chris at Little Saigon for creating such an inclusive space for Vietnamese artists!

Website: https://pholuv.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pholuv/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hien-truong-b88ba97

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PHOLUV/

Image Credits
Photographer: Moya Chang