HOT DESIGNS: Hà Nội-based designer Vũ Việt Hà (middle) honours Vietnamese ramie fabrics and traditional thuỷ ba (waves) motifs in his latest collection “Nước Đầu Nguồn” (The Upstream Water). Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

By Phương Mai

Vietnamese and international designers introduced designs with high standards of creativity and craftmanship celebrating Vietnamese culture and textiles at the Aquafina International Fashion Week (AVIFW) 2023.

Hà Nội-based Vũ Việt Hà, who is known for creating áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) in natural Vietnamese materials, received a very warm welcome from audiences at the fashion week in HCM City for his new ready-to-wear designs promoting the quintessence of Vietnamese culture.

Hà’s collection, which is named “Nước Đầu Nguồn” (The Upstream Water), includes áo dài, evening gowns, and formal and casual wear for men and women with patterns inspired by thuỷ ba (waves) motifs on Vietnamese costumes from the 19th century.

The patterns are hand-embroidered depicting the cultural flow towards the future.

Hà, who has been involved in the fashion industry for 15 years, said, “the Việt Nam International Fashion Week (VIFW) in recent years has highlighted cultural heritage. Through this collection, I bring traditional thuỷ ba motifs to modern costumes made of Vietnamese ramie.”

The designer chose Vietnamese ramie, an eco-friendly fabric researched and produced by Thiên Phước Ramie Group JSC that is durable and easy to volume and dye, for his designs.

In particular, he successfully made denim fabric from ramie yarn, which he uses for his áo dài, dresses, jackets and jeans.

He also applied modern and hand-crafted techniques in dyeing to create contrasting visual effects, like water flowing on rough surfaces.  

Looks in the collection “Nước Đầu Nguồn” by Vũ Việt Hà. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

The 34-year-old designer said, “I want to introduce cultural heritage to international audiences at the AVIFW, and contribute to preserving and promoting Vietnamese cultural values and traditions.”

Hà graduated from the Hà Nội University of Industrial Fine Arts, and took part in classes by late Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto.

He has presented his áo dài collections in numerous fashion shows such as the Vietnam Collection Grand Prix, VIFW, and Huế Festival.

At the AVIFW in Hà Nội last November, Hà introduced designs inspired by the Mông people’s fabrics and costumes from his collection “Ký gửi người Mông vào tương lai” (To the Mông in the Future).

He used the Mông people’s linen fabric and traditional patterns as well as their sewing and embroidery techniques to create modern dresses and clothes, while still reflecting cultural values.

Vũ Thu Phương, the former model turned designer, collaborates with the Cổ Chất Silk Village in Nam Định Province to create her collection “Green Phoenix”. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Vũ Thu Phương, the former model turned fashion designer from the northern province of Nam Định, honoured her hometown’s traditional craft of silk weaving with a collection named “Green Phoenix” for her ready-to-wear brand Phoenix­ V.

Phương’s collection features designs inspired from áo yếm (Vietnamese traditional chemise), cut-out dresses, and menswear-inspired items that make women sexy, but still strong.

All the designs are made of silk from Cổ Chất Silk Village in Phương Định Commune of Nam Định City, which has been known as one of the country’s best-known sericulture and silk villages for hundreds of years.

Silk threads are 100 per cent handmade, thin, soft, durable and vibrantly colourful.

The village saw its golden days after winning numerous prizes at trade shows and exhibitions during the French colonial era. Silk products made here were so famous that the French built a factory right next to the village.

However, silk makers in recent years have struggled to survive, because more and more villagers left for other jobs with better pay.

Phương said, “I was born and grew up next to the weaving factory, and saw generations of villagers who worked to preserve the silk weaving craft.

Today, traditional looms are gradually disappearing, so I wonder if Vietnamese silk will fade and disappear as well. I believe my fashion thinking needs to be changed to fulfill my duty of preserving my homeland’s traditional crafts. That is mulberry and silkworm farming and silk weaving at Cổ Chất Silk Village.”      

TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES: Phương brings a 100-year-old loom from Cổ Chất Silk Village to the AVIFW 2023 stage. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Phương began her career as a model in 2008 after winning a national modeling competition and quickly gained success in the modeling and film industries.

In 2010, she launched her own fashion brand Phoenix_V, creating modern and luxurious items for women.

She left show business in 2011, but returned as a judge of the Miss Universe Việt Nam pageant in 2019 and 2022.

Phương is currently one of four mentors of the modeling-themed reality TV series The Face Vietnam 2023, a Vietnamese version of American show The Face, which is broadcast every Sunday on Việt Nam Television’s VTV9 channel.

Dynamic Sài Gòn

RETRO FASHION: Australian fashion designer Christopher Chronis dazzles fashion fans with shiny designs inspired by Sài Gòn’s street style during the 1960s and 1990s. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Fashion designer Christopher Chronis from Australia dazzled fashion fans with his collection inspired from Sài Gòn’s streetstyle during the 1960s and 1990s called “Sultry Saigon Nights”.

The show is part of celebration of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between Australia and Việt Nam.

Through the show, Chronis brought an image of Sài Gòn streets to the catwalk with 70 designs for both women and men inspired by disco style, such as flared pants, blazers, crop tops, mini dresses, and jumpsuits in vivid colour such as pink, red, silver, and gold.

He used shiny fabrics and materials such as liquid metallic fabrics, sequins and crystals for his clothes that turned the show into a disco party in Sài Gòn in 1990s.

The images of dragon, phoenix and lotus flower, familiar motifs in Vietnamese culture, were featured in his designs as well.

Chronis said through his collection, he sent a message that each individual was unique, standing out in the crowd.

The designer has run the Christopher Chronis Designs, Gas Station, and Christos fashion labels for men’s and women’s fashions.

LOCAL SHOWCASE: Lê Thị Quỳnh Trang, VIFW President, and Vietnamese and international fashion designers participating in the AVIFW 2023 in HCM City. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

The AVIFW 2023 presented 17 shows by 18 international and Vietnamese designers and fashion brands, the London College for Design & Fashion in Hà Nội, and the Marangoni Fashion Institute in Milan, Italy.

Around 1,000 designs were featured, reflecting the show’s theme of sustainable fashion.

Lê Thị Quỳnh Trang, VIFW president, said the AVIFW 2023 was a great success. “Having the theme of 'Shaping the Future'”, the event introduced Vietnamese natural fabrics as well as culture to the world, taking a further step to elevate the country’s fashion industry to a sustainable fashion market.” — VNS