KIÊN GIANG — Fashion designer Đỗ Mạnh Cường will organise the show Life in Colour on Phú Quốc Island on May 27 to celebrate the last 10 years of his career.

The show will feature his latest collections of more than 100 designs on a stage with sound and light effects. 

His clothes are a combination of simplicity and utility in natural colours, including ready-to-wear clothes in high-quality materials like satin, silk and velvet.

Cường uses not only white and black, his favourite colours, but also vibrant elements like golden yellow, lemon green, scarlet and lotus pink.

Cường spent nearly VNĐ5 billion (US$230,000) on making the collections and the catwalk.

"I decided to return home, Việt Nam, after studying and working in France because I wanted to develop my career here,”said 36-year-old Cường, a graduate of the Ecole Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienme.

“I prefer a mixture of luxury fashion and simple, real life in clothes. I want my trends to be popular among urban women every season of the year,” he added.

Although Cường likes working on luxury designs, the designer believes “if designers can’t create fashions for daily use, the industry will remain amateurish”.   

After graduating from Hà Nội University of Industrial Fine Arts in 2003, Cường moved to Paris where he lived for seven years to develop his ideas in fashion design.

In 2007, he worked as a trainee for Christian Dior. He improved both his love and skills in designing and catwalk.

One year later, he returned home and made his debut in HCM City. His collections of elegant and eye-catching designs dazzled audiences.

In 2009, he opened his first shop in District 1, later organising fashion shows and taking part in the Đẹp (Beauty) Fashion Show and Việt Nam Fashion Week.

He was named Man of the Year by Thế Giới Nghệ Sĩ (World of the Artists) Magazine, one of the country’s leading publications on fashion and celebrities.

He has worked for TV shows such as Project Runway Việt Nam and Vietnam’s Next Top Model, and with top artists and fashion icons, including pop star Thanh Lam and ballet dancer Linh Nga.

He now owns three shops in the city and Hà Nội, offering two collections every season, with costs ranging from VNĐ2 million (US$90) to over VNĐ22 million ($2,000) per item. They usually sell out within a few days after release.

Though his designs use lace or metallic, their shapes are distinctly Vietnamese.

“My way is to adopt global styles but in an individual manner," Cường said.  

Life in Colour will attract 60 fashion models, including top faces such as Lê Thúy, Minh Triệu and Mâu Thủy.

The show will take place at 3pm on May 27 at the JW Marriott Phú Quốc Emerald Bay in An Thới Town. — VNS