Sharjah24 – AFP: Made from delicate silk, intricately embroidered and with vast, flared sleeves: Vietnamese 19th-century outfits do not seem a perfect fit for life in the country's hectic modern cities.

But Nguyen Duc Loc, a 28-year-old entrepreneur, together with his 11-strong production team in Hanoi, is convinced the attire of their ancestors can make a return to modern-day living.

"My ambition is that in any Vietnamese wardrobe, as well as suits, trousers, dresses, there will be at least one outfit based on an ancient style to wear on important occasions," like festivals and weddings, he said.

Based on his own research, Loc and his company Y Van Hien reproduce outfits largely from the Nguyen dynasty that spanned close to a century and a half from 1802, a time when the ruling class wore extravagant, brightly coloured designs embellished with symbols of power, such as dragons.

He wants everyone, both men and women, to appreciate the "astonishing beauty" of ancient imperial-style dress, he says, and understand the part this clothing plays in Vietnam's cultural history.

In one of their first major commissions, Y Van Hien was asked to produce costumes for Phuong Khau, an 18-episode YouTube drama about the emperor and empress of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The company, which was set up in 2018 , has also designed costumes for singers, music videos and fashion shows.