Why it belongs in ORBIS
Ho Chi Minh City bespoke tailoring house founded in 1948 by Ly Minh, who held Vietnam's state-conferred 'Tailoring Artist' title; now family-run into its third generation from District 1, with a second office in Hanoi, known for hand-stitched construction and clients including General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Cao Minh Tailor was founded in Saigon in 1948 by Ly Minh, who was later awarded Vietnam's state-conferred 'Tailoring Artist' title by the State Council in recognition of his craft. The house has stayed in family hands since, now run by the second and third generations, and is counted among the oldest continuously operating bespoke tailors in Vietnam.
The business became a private enterprise in 1991, a formal status change during Vietnam's post-reform economic opening (Đổi Mới), and went on to become the first Vietnamese tailoring house to export high-end suits to Japan, a market known for exacting quality control. Its client list has included senior Vietnamese historical and political figures, among them General Võ Nguyên Giáp, commander of Vietnam's armed forces.
Cao Minh's reputation rests on hand-stitched construction rather than machine assembly — canvassing, padding and finishing done by hand in the traditional bespoke method. The main house operates from Hai Bà Trưng Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, with a second office in Hanoi.