PURE FASHION - VIFW President Lê Thị Quỳnh Trang (in blue) celebrates Vietnamese designer Vũ Việt Hà, who opens the Aquafina Việt Nam International Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 in Hà Nội with a collection named “Khởi Nguồn Thuần Khiết” (Pure Origin). Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

HÀ NỘI — Designer Vũ Việt Hà of Hà Nội opened the Aquafina Việt Nam International Fashion Week (AVIFW) Fall/Winter 2025 in Hà Nội on Wednesday night by telling a story of ethnic origin.

Hà presented his collection named Khởi Nguồn Thuần Khiết (Pure Origin), inspired by an epic named Đẻ Đất Nước Đẻ (An Epic of Earth and Water) by the Mường ethnic minority, highlighting the origin of the Mường and the harmony between nature and people.

The collection features silk and sequin white structured dresses and áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) embroidered with white and blue lotuses, representing origin and rebirth

It also presents 3D structured wool dresses that tell a story of Vietnamese creativity, the circle of life and the rise of people amid nature.

CATWALKING - Mai Hoa, winner of Việt Nam's Next Top Model 2025 (L), and Miss International 2024 Thanh Thủy perform designs by Hà. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Hà said, “Everyone has their own pure version of themselves. Let’s make it rise and shine.”

He added that the shade of white in the collection represents water – the origin of life, and the pure beauty of everything in the dawn of a new era.

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

He is renowned for his designs, which feature natural Vietnamese materials that reflect national cultural heritage.

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

DESIGNING THE FUTURE - VIFW President Trang celebrates the 20th season of VIFW with designers and partners. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Addressing the opening ceremony, VIFW President Lê Thị Quỳnh Trang said, “As the AVIFW Fall/Winter 2025 in Hà Nội marks the 20th season of VIFW, we set a huge vision of turning Việt Nam into a country with a developed fashion industry and a fashion hub of Southeast Asia.”

Trang said, “We are honoured to welcome designers from Southeast Asian countries at the 20th season. VIFW serves as a bridge to connect Vietnamese designers to the world and invite international designers to Việt Nam.

“This season aims at not only honouring celebrated designers but also introducing passionate young designers who will be the future of Vietnamese fashion.”

She added that, entering a new era, VIFW aims to create more sustainable values for Vietnamese fashion and provide opportunities for young talents to shine and affirm their own personality in a journey of integration with the global fashion scene.

Together with Hà’s performance were the collections by Singaporean designer Frederick Lee, Spanish brand Chula Fashion and Vietnamese designer Hà Linh Thư.

Lee, one of Singapore’s most sought-after designers, presented the collection named “Nocturne Éternelle” featuring black, deep cobalt blue and silver dresses inspired by the mysterious black of crows and the light reflection of snake skin.

The designer skillfully combined layers of lace and sheer mesh, structured silhouettes and hand-appliqué techniques to create a symphony of darkness and light.

Lee has been named “The Best of Singapore” for three years since 2006 by Singapore Tatler magazine. He first participated in the AVIFW Spring/Summer 2019, and has become a familiar face of the event.

Two looks from the “Nocturne Éternelle” by Singaporean designer Frederick Lee, a familiar face to VIFW. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

The show also featured Chula Fashion brand from Spain, presenting “Chula – Back & White”, which highlighted dresses imbued with the spirit of minimalism, where symmetrical cuts and modern boxy shapes blend in a visual symphony of black and white.

Vietnamese designer Hà Linh Thư presented the “Black Parade” collection inspired by the rock song Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. The collection features long velvet and silk dresses, wide-leg pants, and long coats in black, red, and green, all with hand-appliqued techniques.

AVIFW Fall/Winter 2025 continues to showcase new collections from 16 international and Vietnamese fashion designers and designers from the Hà Nội University of Industrial Fine Arts and Hà Nội Architectural University.

The event is taking place at the Quần Ngựa Gymnasium in Ngọc Hà Ward until November 15. — VNS

Two looks from the “Chula – Black & White” collection by Spanish brand Chula Fashion. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC

Two looks from the “Black Parade” collection by Vietnamese designer Hà Linh Thư. Photo courtesy of Multimedia JSC