Working -- Jason Nguyen
-- Story by Deepa Bharath, photo by [tk]
HE IS
Working through layers of color and fabric to create flags
Crafting originals
Jason Nguyen could have chosen to paint or design clothes. But he
chose flags.
“It’s hard to explain why,” said the 32-year-old, who has worked at
Nikki’s Flags in Newport Beach for the last 12 years.
“But this is just so creative and interesting.”
Nguyen serves a wide and varied client base ranging from local
corporations and mom-and-pop stores to individuals. He has crafted many
an intricate coat-of-arms and customized, original flags for people’s
homes and even boats.
Long hours of work
His job basically involves hours of work with fabric, needle, thread
and a sewing machine. The flags can take upward of a day to three days to
complete right from drawing and taking measurements to the stitching and
sewing.
“The most complicated flag I worked on was the one I did recently for
the Los Angeles Police Department,” Nguyen said. “They wanted it on silk,
which made it complicated because most of our work is on nylon.”
It took him three days, but Nguyen said he was happy with his work.
“It looked so good, it looked better on the fabric than on paper,” he
said. “I felt proud about that.”
Final compliments
While the biggest challenge is the intricate nature of the work and
the time it takes to accomplish it, the greatest satisfaction comes from
getting compliments from clients, Nguyen said.
“I feel really happy when people like my work,” he said. “They call me
about it all the time and even refer me and the store to other people
they know.”
Nguyen, who came to the United States from Vietnam when he was 13, has
been sewing since he was in high school, he said. So has his sister and
brother. They made their own clothes -- shirts, jackets and trousers.
Nguyen studied art at Orange Coast College and then joined Nikki’s as
a part-time employee for a year. Soon, he learned he loved the job and
became a full-time employee.
“I don’t know what else I want to do,” he said. “This is something I
really enjoy.”
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