HÀ NỘI — Visitors will be treated to a cultural event that presents fashion, cuisine and music on Thursday evening. Vietnamese and Italian artists are participating in the event.

Titled Angels of Italy, the event will see Lê Phụng Hiểu Street in Hà Nội transform into a little corner of Italy to celebrate the 70th National Day of the European country.

Designers Xuân Hảo, Quang Huy and Minh Hạnh drew inspiration from Italian stamps to create three impressive collections, each one consisting of 25 outfits.

Models showcasing these designs will include Miss Việt Nam 2010 Ngọc Hân, Italian Embassy staff and Italian children living in Việt Nam.

“The stamps record the history and development of Italy over the past 70 years, they are historical witnesses,” designer Minh Hạnh, co-founder of the Italian-Vietnamese Fashion Council which was founded in Museo di Roma in 2013, said.

“They reflect in an interesting manner the events, the celebrities, the architecture and the culture of Italy. That’s the reason why we chose stamps for our designs.”

While Hạnh selected the cultural heritage of the Rocca di Urbisaglia, the 16th-century military fortification, and Villa Borromeo to feature in her collection, Hảo used the stamps to honour celebrities, such as sculptor Jacopo Sansovino and actress Sophia Loren, in his menswear collection.

Designer Huy combined stamps depicting nature with soft materials, such as silk and chiffon, to bring a sense of peace to those who wear the designs.

A special performance will gather violinists Marica and Daniele Anderle, pianists Sandra Stojanovic and Phó An My, đàn nhị (Vietnamese two-chord fiddle) player Thùy Anh and singer Thùy Chi, as well as a choir of Vietnamese and Italian children.

Visitors will also get a chance to enjoy Italian cuisine, buy products in Italian designs and with Italian labels and see photos capturing the beauty of the boot-shaped country.

Cecilia Piccioni, Ambassador of Italy to Việt Nam, said she had dreamed of making Lê Phụng Hiểu Street a little corner of Italy for a long time. Now, the dream had finally turned into a reality.

“Here, we have Casa Italia (Italy House) and the Italian Embassy, but with the Angels of Italy events, the street really becomes a cultural space of Italy,” she said.

The show starts at 7pm in the area between Casa Italia and the Italian Embassy on Lê Phụng Hiểu Street. Vehicles will be prohibited. — VNS