Fashion designer Thủy Nguyễn is pictured at Thuỷ Nguyễn - Mộng Bình Thường (Thủy Nguyễn – An Everyday Dream) exhibition that displays her 60 designs of áo dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress). Photo courtesy of the artist

HÀ NỘI –  A fashion exhibition introducing designs of áo dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress) by designer Nguyễn Thu Thủy, also known as Thủy Nguyễn, is taking place at the Hanoi Information and Exhibition Centre, 93 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Hà Nội.

The collection of 60 designs that showcase Thủy’s distinctive style includes those that have never been exhibited to the public.

Besides áo dài, the Thuỷ Nguyễn - Mộng Bình Thường (Thủy Nguyễn – An Everyday Dream) exhibition also displays unique designs of embroidery, lace and brocade, along with fashion accessories from the designer’s personal collection.

Thủy’s designs revolve around personal stories such as motherhood, homeland, spiritual life and nature. In addition, the audience can encounter Vietnamese proverbs, folk songs, fairy tales, legends or modern art in the decoration of the exhibition space and the design motifs, reflecting the designer’s affection and attachment to traditional Vietnamese culture.

It is curated by Dolla Merrillees and Thủy herself, and organised by The Factory Contemporary Art Centre in collaboration with THUY DESIGN HOUSE.

According to Zoe Butt, Artistic Director of The Factory Contemporary Art Centre, the exhibition showcases the commitment of the centre to the interdisciplinary study and exhibition of different forms of art, with the belief that experimentation and innovation in creativity are present in all aspects of human life.

This is extremely important in assessing the role of contemporary art in today's society - a story that is not so common in the art curriculum in Việt Nam, she noted.

Thủy’s designs revolve around personal stories such as motherhood, homeland, spiritual life and nature.

The exhibition was successfully held for the first time in HCM City in 2021, marking 10 years since Thủy founded the brand THUY DESIGN HOUSE, regarded as one of the leading fashion houses in the fast-growing fashion industry in Việt Nam. The event was a remarkable milestone for the designer to look back and share her life and fashion journey.

Thuỷ Nguyễn - Mộng Bình Thường exhibition will last until March 26.

Thủy graduated from Vietnam University of Fine Arts and obtained a master's degree from the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture (Ukraine) in Kiev.

She has been renowned for various roles such as a visual artist, fashion designer, change maker, influencer, trailblazer, entrepreneur, and businesswoman. Her creative practice spans various disciplines including painting, art installations, film and design.

Though the 42-year-old artist was not technically trained to be a fashion designer, her creativity originates from her accumulated knowledge and experience about the intersection between tradition and modernity, East and West. She embarked on her fashion journey with the launching of her fashion branch THUY DESIGN HOUSE in HCM City in 2011.

Thủy values new ideas and individuality, and her imagination plays an equally important role in her philosophy of life - a guideline for her artistic practice as well as fashion. To her, “painting and fashion have many similarities - colours and shapes”.

She has earned success with her feminine and voluptuous designs, creative use of colours or fabrics to highlight the personality of contemporary Vietnamese women. The designer has always found a consistent approach to traditional Vietnamese culture, as her collections are often inspired by artworks by 20th century artists who graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts and the áo dài - the symbol of Vietnamese culture - together with other traditional accessories.

Thủy’s diverse art practice can be seen in her role as the film producer of Cô Ba Sài Gòn (The Tailor), a romantic comedy that introduces the culture and lifestyle of old Saigon through the history of áo dài. She was also an establisher of The Factory Contemporary Art Centre - the first independent space in Việt Nam exclusively dedicated to contemporary art - in 2016.

According to curator Merrillees, Thủy is a person who "never compromises nor is satisfied. She is always looking for new things and aiming for the next goal."

In 2019, Thủy was honoured as one of the fifty most influential women by Forbes Vietnam magazine. VNS