HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s best creators in different design fields will be honoured at the Vietnam Design Week 2023 (VNDW) that will take place at Văn Miếu - the Temple of Literature - in Hà Nội from September 23 to 29.

The largest and most prestigious of its kind in the country, the annual event, which is in its fourth season, aims to seek and honour outstanding products and designers in different fields such as Communication Design, Living Design, Decor & Object Design, Clothing Design, and Public Design.

A series of activities will be held during the one-week event, including the contest ‘Designed by Vietnam’ on the theme “Embracing Constraints”.

As many as 150 submissions were submitted to the contest, which also includes the category ‘Hanoi Design City’ with a specific topic ‘Design public toilets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake”.

The decor & object design Góc Tĩnh – Tại (Meditattion Corner) by Phường Son Collective won the first prize of the ‘Designed by Vietnam 2020’ on the theme ‘Regeneration’. — Photo courtesy of VNDW

Organisers have selected a shortlist of 31 entries to present at an exhibition. Judges are Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decoration Vietnam Nguyễn Phan Thùy Dương, Vietcraft’s Deputy Chairman Lê Bá Ngọc, and Designing Director of Sadec District Từ Phương Thảo.

The winning designs will be announced at a gala evening on September 29.

Alongside the ‘Designed by Vietnam’ display, visitors can enjoy another exhibition entitled Land, Water, Heaven: Cross Encounter, Joining Threads.

A result of a project under the UK-Vietnam Season 2023 programme initiated by the British Council to celebrate the British and Vietnamese culture, the exhibition brings a vivid exploration of the rich craftsmanship that is a heritage and common knowledge of the two countries.

The installations on display are the results of the artisanship of the Blue H’mong craftswomen of Pà Cò Village in Hòa Bình northern mountainous province, the candle artisans of WAX Atelier, and artists from Kilomet109.

Alongside curated tours, guests can enjoy workshops on braiding string with designer Lola Lely from the WAX Atelier. The workshop will be held from 1-3pm, and from 3.30-5.30pm on September 25.

The VNDW will include an exhibition showcasing installations that are results of the artisanship of the Blue H’mong craftswomen of Pà Cò Village in Hòa Bình Province, the candle artisans of WAX Atelier, and artists from Kilomet109. — Photo courtesy of Kilomet109

A dyeing workshop conducted by designer Vũ Thảo, who is also the founder of the Kilomet109 – a local sustainable local fashion brand, will take place from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on September 26.

A total of 100 booths at the ‘Design Fair Vietnam’ will showcase products by 50 domestic and international design brands.

The VNDW 2023 agenda will also feature workshops on topics “Designed by Vietnam – Policies in the Creative Design Industry”, and “Embracing Constraints”.

Head of the organising board Lê Việt Hà said that alongside the key event, the contest ‘Designed by VietNam’ like previous seasons, VNDW 2023 has two other main activities – the ‘Design Fair Vietnam’ aiming to connect designers, manufacturers, and traders to offer the well-designed products, and the ‘Design of the Year’ award to honour excellent designs.

“Over the years, the event has gradually become an effective platform to connect the contemporary design community with the traditional craft villages across the country,” he said.

The event is co-organsied by the Vietnam Design Group, the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), the Copyright Office under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports.

Last year, the first prize of the ‘Designed by Vietnam’ contest was given to the communication design Your Choice by Ngô Gia Khang. The VNDW 2022 granted the honour to the fashion collection N.A.M by Vũ Tá Linh, while the first season praised the decor & object design Góc Tĩnh – Tại (Meditattion Corner) by Phường Son Collective. — VNS