Some costume designs selected for the Top 50 of the Dances of Vietnam contest. — Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — Fashion is finding its feet this season as, within the framework of Miss World Vietnam 2025, the costume design contest Dances of Vietnam has officially been launched to honour Việt Nam’s cultural identity through the language of style. The competition has already attracted more than 300 submissions from young designers and culture enthusiasts nationwide.

Miss World Vietnam – Hoa hậu Thế giới Việt Nam has kicked off its 2025 season, opening the search for the successor to reigning Miss World Vietnam Huỳnh Trần Ý Nhi and first runner-up Huỳnh Minh Kiên. Beyond celebrating beauty and intellect, the contest also aims to select Việt Nam’s representative for the global Miss World stage.

Continuing the tradition of previous seasons, Miss World Vietnam 2025 features a series of accompanying activities. Among them, Dances of Vietnam stands out as a new highlight this year, offering a creative platform for young designers while promoting traditional cultural values through fashion and performance art.

The competition focuses on exploring Vietnamese cultural elements such as customs, beliefs, festivals, regional identities and traditional materials. From these inspirations, contestants are challenged to create stage-ready designs for performance in the Dances of Vietnam segment at Miss World Vietnam 2025, while conveying images of Vietnamese culture to both domestic and international audiences.

Dances of Vietnam draws inspiration from the Dances of the World segment at Miss World, where international contestants introduce their national cultural stories through costume and dance. In the Vietnamese version, designs prioritise lightweight structures and flexibility, emphasising harmony between costumes and choreography to support movement on stage.

According to Artistic Director Hoàng Nhật Nam, while National Costume designs often highlight scale and grandeur, Dances of Vietnam places greater emphasis on mobility and rhythm, allowing costumes to move seamlessly with performers and enhance the overall stage effect.

Over the years, Việt Nam’s representatives at Miss World have made a strong impression in the Dances of the World segment with culturally rich performances. Notable examples include Miss Trần Tiểu Vy’s chầu văn dance, Miss Lương Thùy Linh’s golden tray dance, Miss Đỗ Thị Hà’s portrayal of Nhụy Kiều Tướng Quân – Bà Triệu and Vũ Điệu Đại Ngàn, inspired by the Central Highlands, performed by Miss Ý Nhi.

Designer Nguyễn Minh Công joins this year’s Dances of Vietnam contest as a professional judge. He has previously served as a consultant and judge at several major costume design competitions and is widely recognised for his expertise and experience.

Known for incorporating Vietnamese cultural elements into his creations, Nguyễn Minh Công blends traditional spirit with contemporary aesthetics. During the contest, he will directly evaluate, guide and support contestants throughout the development process, ensuring the designs are feasible and meet the performance and stage requirements of Miss World Vietnam 2025.

The competition has received more than 300 entries covering a wide range of themes, reflecting various aspects of Vietnamese culture, including customs, beliefs, festivals, landscapes and cultural symbols. From these submissions, the organising committee selected 50 outstanding designs to advance to the next round.

The judging panel includes Artistic Director Hoàng Nhật Nam, Mister Vietnam Phạm Tuấn Ngọc, designer Nguyễn Minh Công and stylist Kiệt Cao. Judging criteria focus on harmony between costume and movement, the ability to highlight the wearer and the balance of aesthetics, cultural value and stage effectiveness.

In the final round, two outstanding designs will be selected to accompany Miss Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc and the new Miss World Vietnam 2025 at the Miss World competition. The Dances of Vietnam showcase is scheduled to take place in late March 2026 during the second phase of Miss World Vietnam 2025. — VNS