HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese designer Lan Hương will showcase around 60 áo dài creations at an exhibition and performance in Seoul next month.

The event is a part of We Are Together Festival 2018 which will be held for the second time in Korea. The festival will take place at the KBS Arena from June 14 to 17 to introduce and feature Vietnamese culture.

Áo dài designer Hương has been in Korea for many events before but this is a rare chance for her to appear at such a large event.

"Vietnamese áo dài and Korean hanbok will make an interesting contrast," said the designer. "A hanbok doesn’t show the body and looking at a model wearing hanbok people cannot see her body. But áo dài shows the graceful curves of the wearer. The contrast between the two traditional dresses will create different emotions."

The Áo dài and hanbok show will take to the stage from 5pm to 6pm on June 16. An exhibition of áo dài will open before in the lobby with a demonstration of áo dài creations by artists Lê Văn Khéo and Nguyễn Thị Loan. The 79-year-old Khéo will spin silk and the 74-year-old Loan will embroider the pattern.

Ice cool: Korean girl band I.C.E will perform at We Are Together 2018. — Photo Koogle TV

Highlight of the festival will be music by Korean girl band I.C.E and Vietnamese artists. The four-member group made an impact in the music scene with their debut video Over U featuring powerful dance moves and a catchy song.

Vietnamese artists will be Minh Hằng, Văn Mai Hương, Hòa Minzy, Trung Quân and Trọng Hiếu. Minh Hằng is the most popular in Việt Nam with her music and cinema career. She starred in Korean movie remake entitled 200 Pound Beauty, last year.

Trọng Hiếu is Việt Nam Idol 2015 winner while Văn Mai Hương was the runner-up in the 2010 Idol competition.

"We organise the festival We Are Together with a view to make Vietnamese expatriates feel warm and remember their homeland," said Kim Kang-wook from DB Insurance, representing for the festival organisation. "We also want to introduce Vietnamese culture to Korean people and promote relationships between the two countries".

The festival organisation co-ordinates with Việt Nam Women’s Union to select three Vietnamese mothers and sponsor them to come to meet their daughters who got married Korean husbands. — VNS