HCM CITY — The Hà Nội-based designer Đỗ Trịnh Hoài Nam’s áo dài (Vietnamese dress) collection, called Women in Love, will open the Paris Fashion Week-Haute Couture 2018 on January 23.

The collection features 30 áo dài in silk and satin made in France and Italy. The designs use patterns from Gothic stained glass in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

“Each design of my collection, worth US$10,000-20,000, was made by Vietnamese artisans over a six-month period,” said 42-year-old Nam.

Nam will receive full financial support for travel and the catwalk participation from the event’s organisers.

In September, Nam attended the 26th Couture Fashion Week New York. His áo dài collection, Sen Vàng (Golden Lotus), opened the event, together with two designers from Asian countries.

The designs used Vietnamese silk and satin by skilled artisans from Hà Đông in Hà Nội as well as Thái Bình and Lâm Đồng provinces.  

They have traditional images from the 19th century and are embroidered with images of lotuses and water puppets.

Born in Hà Nội, Nam started his career as a tailor in his village, Xuân Đỉnh, which is famous for handicraft products. 

In 2003, he rose to fame after wining the Việt Nam Collection Grand Prix 2014 presented by the Việt Nam Design Institute and became one of the finalists at Mercedes Benz Asia Fashion Week 2014.

Nam has attended leading fashion events at home and abroad. His áo dài collections have consistently impressed Vietnamese and foreigners.

His elegant and eye-catching pieces, using high-quality silk, satin, cotton and line, are considered glamorous.

He has worked with movie stars and pop idols and now owns a garment and fashion company as well as a model agency. 

Nam’s shops in Hà Nội and northern provinces offer around 80 designs and accessories each, with a new collection each year. — VNS