STYLE MAVEN: Fashion designer Thuỷ Nguyễn, a graduate of the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts and National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture, Ukraine. Photo courtesy of Thuỷ Design House.

PHÚ QUỐC — Vietnamese women and their beauty will be highlighted in a new áo dài (traditional long dress) collection by celebrated designer Thuỷ Nguyễn.

The collection will be presented on the catwalk by top models during Fashion Voyage #5 - a fashion show featuring Vietnamese designers organised annually on the island of Phú Quốc in the southern province of Kiên Giang this month.

Designer Thuỷ will introduce long dresses in traditional materials such as cotton, silk and satin in vivid colours of red and pink.

Each creation is linked to stories and dreams that the designer has learnt and discovered from local women after visiting many remote places around the country.

BEAUTIFUL ÁO DÀI: Designer Thuỷ Nguyễn’s áo dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress) collection comprises designs that are themed on Vietnamese women and their lifestyles. Photo courtesy of Thuỷ Design House

“My designs highlight Vietnamese women and their lifestyle,” said 42-year-old Thuỷ, founder of the Thuỷ Design House fashion brand.

She graduated from the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts and got a master's degree from the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture in Ukraine in 2003. She went on to become a self-taught fashion designer.

She works as a visual artist, and is involved in painting, art installations, and movie and fashion design.

In 2011, she opened her first store in HCM City. Her designs revolve around topics such as motherhood, homeland, spiritual life and nature.

Thuỷ finds her endless inspiration from Vietnamese folk culture, including music, tales and legends.

In 2016, she was invited to be a costume designer for Cô Ba Sài Gòn (The Tailor), an award-winning romantic comedy produced by movie star and producer Ngô Thanh Vân.

The film features Vietnamese women living in Sài Gòn (now HCM City) in the 1960s. Its leading character, actress Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc, was named the Face of Asia at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in 2017.

Thủy created many áo dài for the actresses to wear in the film. She said she loves working with Vietnamese satin, silk and velvet.

She is still involved in painting and the arts. She is a founder of The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, an institution in HCM City that encourages young artists in different fields.

In February, she opened a fashion exhibition Thuỷ Nguyễn - Mộng Bình Thường (Thủy Nguyễn – An Everyday Dream) in Hà Nội.

The event displays unique designs of embroidery, lace and brocade, along with fashion accessories from the designer’s áo dài collections.

FASHION COMPETITION:The famous tourist island of Phú Quốc will host Fashion Voyage #5, a fashion show featuring Vietnamese designers this month. VNS Photo by Thu Anh.

Thuỷ’s latest áo dài collection will be displayed during Fashion Voyage #5, scheduled to take place on April 7 and 8 at the resort entertainment complex Sunset Town-Phú Quốc. –VNS