HCM CITY — Pop star Rihanna has uploaded an image of herself on Instagram wearing a design by Vietnamese Nguyễn Công Trí.

The image has had 1.7 million likes.

The singer wore a white oversized shirt from the designer’s latest collection Haute Couture No 10 - Em Hoa (Flowers) at a show during Tokyo Fashion Week 2017 in March.

The collection was also shown on the website of Vogue magazine.

Trí said that Rihanna’s stylist assistant emailed him after seeing the designs in vogue.com. She ordered three designs, including a customised design from the collection.

“I spent four days on making the clothes in cotton, embroidered silk and felt, and packed them to send to New York,” he said.

The designer’s collection featured dozens of designs in Vietnamese silk, cotton and lace.

The clothes were worn by a group of Vietnamese and Japanese fashion models on the catwalk at Tokyo Fashion Week 2017.

The six-day event attracted veteran and young designers in Japan and other countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia and the UK.

Fashion brand names such as Aula, Chika Kisada, Hare and Hyke were also featured.

Trí, a member of Asian Couture Federation (ACF), left a strong impression on audiences after showing his collection Lúa (Rice) at Tokyo Fashion Week 2016.

His collection included 41 designs in Lãnh Mỹ A, a rare traditional silk made by artisans living in the southern province of An Giang. 

Born in Đà Nẵng, Trí graduated from the HCM City University of Architecture’s industrial arts faculty in 2001.

He rose to fame while at school after his collection won second prize at the 2001 Asian Young Fashion Designer Contest, organised by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore and the Singapore Trade Development Board.

His collection, Sự Thăng Hoa Của Đất Và Nước (The Explosive Mix of Earth and Water), included 12 pieces and made a strong impression on both the audience and the judges.  

Trí has attended leading fashion events at home and abroad, including the Việt Nam Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and Origin Passion and Belief Fair in Vicenza, Italy.

He has also acted as a judge in the Vietnamese versions of international TV reality shows like Project Runway and So You Think You Can Dance.

He has a staff of more than 50, including sellers and seamstresses who work for his two shops in districts 1 and 3.

His shops have about 60 designs and accessories each and he renews collections every season.

His elegant and eye-catching pieces use high-quality silk, cotton and wool.

“My way is to adopt global styles but in an individual manner,” said the 39-year-old. — VNS