Photography has given me so much joy, but it has also taken so much away. There are always trade-offs in life.
On the occasion of the beginning of 2026, according to the lunar calendar, after much deliberation and consideration, I have decided to take a sideways step instead of a forward one. I’m stepping onto a different path in my artistic journey to experiment with the role of creative director. Analyzing the possibilities of the current context, it doesn’t seem very promising for an experimental fashion magazine project, but between letting this inner turmoil continue and ignoring it, I still want to try. Pure Ráp is a new journey for me, more as an artistic director than just a photographer. There are always opinions surrounding changing roles, but I listen to myself more.
I wanted to create an in-depth fashion and interview publication through a humanistic process, rich in message and imbued with genuine energy. A link in the global publication system originating from Vietnam, it would have research value and serve as a foundation for global creations.
So
Pure: Pure
Ráp: In Vietnamese, refers to the way of joining or assembling. It also describes a feeling that is not smooth, but rough.
The idea for Pure Ráp originated from me and ChiLab’s experiments in 2024 with the Keep My Heart project, where participants were allowed to choose their own outfits for two occasions: parties and outings. They would then answer a series of psychological questions related to themes interwoven with traditional Vietnamese culture and what is happening in the modern and future world. Based on these answers, we would prepare props and photographic concepts.
In 2025, we implemented a new process called Bartender, where characters could choose how they wanted to appear during the photoshoot, completely eliminating pre-existing photographic concepts to test their artistic sensibility and adaptability. I noticed they were quite surprised and shared that it was their first time attending a photoshoot without any prior informations of the concepts. Some mistakenly thought we would have a team to do their makeup and prepare their outfits. This made us think about some ideas related to current society: Society always emphasizes professionalism and clarity, and while this has acknowledged positive aspects, it also harbors potential negative consequences for the formation of our habits and judgmental mindset. We believe that this is what constitutes professionalism and that is what doesn’t. At the same time, we become overly focused on form without real interaction, memories, and reflections on life after the photoshoot.
Pure Ráp is an experimental publication launched in 2026 to explore fashion photography and staging in response to this issue. The project emphasizes stimulating participants’ adaptability, exploration, and reflection on the unknown aspects of a photoshoot, fostering collaboration to create cohesive work. It transforms the shoot into a playground where subjects can play, with photography acting as an interactive process between people and the environment, breaking down barriers of beauty and ugliness to focus on the core issue of real-life reflection and expressing an attitude towards life through the slogan: “Don’t forget to see the flowers.”
Our idea is to create truly emotionally resonant campaign covers and interview experiments through a unique creative process that is relevant to the contemporary context.
Chiron Duong (Direction for Pure Ráp)
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Pure Ráp Fashion
Pure Ráp Beauty
Pure Ráp Artists
Pure Ráp Life Pure Ráp Art
A New Role, A New Adventure: A Fashion Publication Testing Risks Amidst Global Upheaval From The “Pure Ráp” Project
Chiron Duong, thank you!
