Marking one year since its return to Vietnam, Esquire Vietnam hosted Esquire Townhouse: Tastemakers Edition for the first time. Under the theme “Taste in Motion,” the event brought together leading voices from fashion, film, music, design and gastronomy for an afternoon of conversation, connection and shared experiences.
Departing from Bach Dang Wharf, guests of Esquire Townhouse travelled by yacht from the heart of Ho Chi Minh City to Elyse Island in Dai Phuoc, Dong Nai. After the journey along the river, Marina Club became the setting for a gathering of leading figures shaping the worlds of culture, creativity and business.
The event also welcomed designers, photographers, directors and music producers who had previously appeared across Esquire Vietnam’s pages and projects. Overlooking the tranquil Dong Nai River, the venue offered a relaxed setting for guests to meet, exchange ideas and connect at Esquire’s first Townhouse event in Vietnam.
Bringing together creative voices across different generations and disciplines, the event fostered an open exchange that reflected the spirit of Tastemakers, a feature in Esquire Vietnam’s September 2026 issue. That same idea was carried into the event through “Taste in Motion,” an intimate conversation exploring how personal taste is shaped, expressed and continually evolves over time.
Taste in Motion
The program opened with a performance by SUGI of FIRSTGENE, featuringDắt Anh Đi, Ngày Đầu Tiên,Đừng Nhìn Anh Như Thế NữaandNỗi Buồn Thật Đẹp. Following the intimate ballad set, Esquire Vietnam invited guests to look back on the past year through a recap video highlighting the people, stories and milestones that helped shape the magazine’s first chapter since its return.
Building on those moments, the program then moved into the afternoon’s central theme with the “Taste in Motion” panel talk.
Featuring journalist, VJ and host Thuy Minh alongside actor Lien Binh Phat, the conversation brought together two distinct perspectives on the idea of “taste.” Drawing from their very different experiences in media and film, they expanded the discussion beyond personal preference to explore how taste shapes the way we recognize difference, make choices and allow our sensibilities to evolve through different stages of life.
For Thuy Minh, taste should not be measured on a scale of high or low. What matters is the ability to recognize what makes each person distinct, and to feel confident in those choices. After 20 years in the industry, she has witnessed a clear shift in media: from a landscape that was once cautious about difference to one where individuality has become almost essential.
Yet amid the growing noise of social media, Thuy Minh also raised the question of how we filter what we hear and seek out responses with greater depth. “Everyone has taste. It is neither high nor low. It is more like a kind of DNA that we have to discover within ourselves,” she said.
From Lien Binh Phat’s perspective, taste is a more fluid idea, one that shifts with circumstance, experience and different stages of life. From his early preference for action roles to the more everyday changes in the way he dresses, the actor sees even seemingly small choices as reflections of how a person adapts and gradually shapes their own sensibility. “Taste changes over time, and it depends on where you are in life,” he said.
The conversation then broadened to the changing landscapes of media, film and, increasingly, artificial intelligence. While Thuy Minh believes that emotion and our distinctly human “DNA” remain central to the formation of taste, Lien Binh Phat sees lived experience as what allows an actor to recognize emotional nuances that machines cannot easily replicate. From there, “Taste in Motion” became less about a fixed style and more about understanding taste as a sensibility that is continuously shaped, refined and clarified through experience.
That idea also came to define the panel’s closing note: taste never truly stands still. It evolves as we encounter new people and ideas, as our knowledge and expertise deepen, and as the world around us continues to change.Rather than searching for a single definition of what constitutes “good taste,” the conversation between Thuy Minh, Lien Binh Phat and Esquire Vietnam at Esquire Townhouse: Tastemakers Edition offered a more personal perspective. Taste may reveal itself through the choices we make in the present, but it is the ongoing process of observing, experiencing, changing and learning that ultimately makes it our own. That is also the idea at the heart of “Taste in Motion”: our sense of taste evolves as we do.
Moments that carried the spirit of Esquire Townhouse forward
Following the panel talk, the spirit of the event carried on through relaxed conversations in Marina Club’s outdoor setting. Overlooking the Dong Nai River at Elyse Island, guests continued to mingle over light bites and drinks before enjoying a live performance by Gigi Huong Giang, accompanied by Quan McRay.
With Quan McRay on accompaniment, Gigi Huong Giang brought a gentle musical interlude with Thuong Anh Hon Tinh Yeu, Fly Me to the Moon and ilovesieuthi. The pace then picked up with a Lucky Draw, adding a playful note of surprise and bringing the afternoon to a lively close.
Amid applause and eager anticipation as each winner was announced, a total of 20 prizes found their recipients. The gifts ranged from bespoke suit vouchers from Oriole Bespoke and Lacoste shopping gift cards to Caroline Heslain x Longchamp bags, as well as skincare products from Shiseido and Paula’s Choice, and fragrances from Issey Miyake.
Following the Lucky Draw, the program continued with a performance by Quan McRay, who delivered a cover of John Mayer’s Neon alongside his own track Dung Sau. The set brought the afternoon to a warm and memorable close, marking a fitting finale to the first edition of Esquire Townhouse in Vietnam.
Completing the experience of the first Esquire Townhouse: Tastemakers Edition in Vietnam were Elyse Island (Legacy Collection by Nam Long) as the main sponsor, alongside La Casa del Habano (Best Lounge in Asia 2025) and PRIME – Steak Boutique and Chill. Each partner contributed to the event in its own way, from dining experiences to the spaces that brought guests together and encouraged conversation and connection.
|
ESQUIRE TOWNHOUSE
Esquire Townhouse is an event format within the global Esquire network, with previous editions held in London, New York and Dubai. Conceived as an extension of the magazine, Townhouse creates an intimate setting for leading voices across culture, creativity and business to come together.
Rather than focusing on scale, Townhouse places conversation and connection at its core, bringing together guests from different disciplines and backgrounds. In Vietnam, that spirit continued with the Tastemakers Edition, closely tied to the theme and eight featured personalities of Esquire Vietnam’s September 2026 issue.
|
Media Contact: Vũ Thị Vân Anh.
Email: anh.vu@sunflowermedia.vn
