Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, attends the “Threads That Bind” fashion show in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

The fashion show, “Threads That Bind”, brought together collections by a Vietnamese designer and a Japanese designer, celebrating what the two countries share and the pride each takes in its own traditions and culture. Silk was the common thread. The fabric was presented as a link between past and present, and between Vietnamese aesthetics and Japan’s meticulous craftsmanship.

Vietnamese guests included Đặng Khánh Toàn, Deputy Chief of the Party Central Committee’s Office; Lê Nguyệt Anh, spouse of the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Thái Thu Hồng, spouse of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan; and officials from the Party Central Committee’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The “Threads That Bind” fashion show features collections by a Vietnamese designer and a Japanese designer, with silk as a symbol of the ties between the two countries. — VNA/VNS Photo

Beyond the runway, the event put the craft heritage of both countries in the spotlight. It also opened the door to joint production and artisan exchanges, which could help both countries grow their handicraft industries and develop sustainable fashion.

The next day, Ly attended the opening of “Dialogue”, a Việt Nam–Japan small sculpture exhibition at the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building.

Ngô Phương Ly and Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji open “Dialogue”, a Việt Nam–Japan small sculpture exhibition, in Kanagawa Prefecture. — VNA/VNS Photo

Nguyễn Anh Minh, Director of the Việt Nam National Fine Arts Museum, thanked Ly for an initiative that brought sculptors from both countries together. True to its name, he said, “Dialogue” is a conversation between two cultures. Seen side by side, the works keep their own character while revealing common ground and some fascinating contrasts.

After the ceremony, Ly, Governor Kuroiwa and other guests toured the exhibition and tried their hand at calligraphy. Japanese visitors admired how the Vietnamese artists worked with form and mass. They said the pieces were full of colour, captured the bond between people and nature, and invited viewing from many angles. Vietnamese stone carving drew particular praise.

Ly singled out the work of Horiuchi Masakazu (1911–2001), one of Japan’s foremost abstract sculptors. She noted a link with Lê Thị Hiền, the only Vietnamese woman artist in the show, who has drawn inspiration from origami. Like her, Horiuchi turned to paper. The paper sculptures he cut and folded by hand are considered the starting point of his art.

Thanking the governor for his warmth towards Việt Nam, Ly said she was touched that the prefecture had chosen its historic headquarters as a meeting place for the sculptures. The exhibition, she said, does more than present the works that made these artists’ names. It shows that art is a universal language that brings people and nations closer.

She noted that Vietnamese and Japanese people have been in contact for centuries and that ties between ordinary people are a cornerstone of the friendship between the two countries. She said she hoped more exhibitions like this would introduce Vietnamese sculpture to Japanese audiences, and Japanese sculpture to Vietnamese audiences, bringing the two peoples even closer.

The fashion show and the exhibition were among the cultural highlights of Tô Lâm’s official visit to Japan with his spouse.— VNS

Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, at the “Threads That Bind” fashion show in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, joins guests at the “Threads That Bind” fashion show in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, joins guests at the “Threads That Bind” fashion show in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, joins guests at the “Threads That Bind” fashion show in Tokyo. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji and other guests learn about “Twin Lotuses” (Sen đôi), a work by Vietnamese sculptor Lê Thị Hiền. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly and Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji try their hand at calligraphy. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Phương Ly meets Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji on the sidelines of the “Dialogue” Việt Nam–Japan small sculpture exhibition in Kanagawa Prefecture. — VNA/VNS Photo