Dreamy Saigon: Tropical illustrations of sleepy hot afternoons in Ho Chi Minh City

In her series Dreamy Saigon, Babeth explores her heritage: "I was born in Paris from French/Vietnamese parents who fled the war in the '70s, and as a teen, I’ve always thought of Saigon as my 'real' hometown (both my parents were born there).

"Until I went backpacking there for a few weeks as a young woman, and realised that Paris was definitely my one and only hometown. I felt like a stranger in Vietnam, much more so than all the constant racism I grew up with in France could ever make me feel.

"Still to this day, I have fantasies of tropical windows, sleepy hot afternoons and colourful details mixing up with my actual teenage years memories and obsessions – a mash-up made of bits and pieces from my real teenage bedroom in Paris and a dreamy Saigon, one I’ll never get to see. Now at last, it exists here, and strangely I feel more complete."

After graduating from the Art and Design School Ecole Boulle in Paris, Babeth worked as a graphic designer and art director in France and Austria before trying her luck in Berlin. Her work has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Architectural Digest, Glamour and Marie Claire, and some of her clients include L'Oréal, Chaumet, L'Occitane, Bare Escentuals and Stella Artois.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of Babeth Lafon