HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Robin Department Store, the first overseas lifestyle shopping centre owned by Thailand's Central Group in Viet Nam, visited and presented gifts to villagers of K'Long Village in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong late last week.

This activity is part of the company's corporate social responsibility program "Designs from village", inspired by the idea that Vietnamese cultural heritage be used to create sustainable support for local communities. This program of Robins Department Store and fashion designer Adrian Anh Tuan began in September last year.

Under the programme, Robins and Adrian Anh Tuan visited ethnic villages in the province to draw inspiration for a new collection, which was sold exclusively at the two Robins Department Stores in Ha Noi and HCM City. All profits from the collection are used to build standard toilets for villagers and to fund the daily living expenses of ethnic minorities.

Nguyen Thi Hong, head of Central Group Viet Nam's Public Relations Division said the collection showcased the beauty of local "tho cam" - traditional patterns of the K'Long people - for the modern fashion world, as well as the commitment of the Central Group to improving and enriching the lives and livelihoods of Vietnamese communities.

"This project was a golden opportunity for local handmade products to be widely promoted to citizens in major cities, while maintaining the traditional values of Viet Nam", said a representative of the K'Long villagers in Hiep An Commune of Lam Dong province's Duc Trong District. — VNS