Vietnamese fashion: Time for young talents

Along with recent growth in the modelling industry, fashion design is considered amongst one of the top jobs among Vietnamese young people. VietNamNet takes a look at the top designers. Collection Tropical Zone by Nguyen Quang Huy. Around ten years ago, “fashion design” was seen as a fantasy job that Vietnamese people only watched on TV. Gradually, fashion collections began to appear in local beauty contests and music shows, now it is has acquired professional status and is considered a top job opportunity among Vietnamese people. With about 10 years experience, Vietnam’s modelling industry is still young and young local designers face many challenges and difficulties. Gradually more and more Vietnamese models burst onto the international scene, modelling creations of local designers. It is an exciting time for people in the modelling industry to promote the industry to the country and the rest of the world. The dream stage.. The annual Vietnam Collection Grand Prix drew competitors aged from 15 to 35 nationwide. It is the largest fashion event in Vietnam. All the participants have a passion for fashion, with the competition providing them with an opportunity to learn and exchange ideas and experiences, moreover it has assisted them to discover distinctive expression. The Vietnam Collection Grand Prix 2004, the fifth of its kind, attracted 1,205 competitors. These include designers of national mass-market clothing manufacturers, private companies, students, and designers for the famous. Among them, many have shone on both local and international catwalks. The winner, Nguyen Quang Huy, 27, was formerly a fashion designer for Lega Fashion Company. His Tropical Zone collection, with four designs, was a collage of wool and cotton featuring yellow as its defining feature. Mr Huy is among a group of young designers whose name has been honoured relatively early in his career. …and outstanding creators Apart from FADIN’s Chairwoman Minh Hanh, currently considered Vietnam’s head designer, all of the nations’ fashion creators are young. One of Vietnam’s most popular designers, Vo Viet Chung, is known in both Vietnam and abroad. His collection Su Hoi Sinh (The Restoration) will be shown at Euro Fashion Week in Berlin July 23 - 27. Vo Viet Chung was among several young Vietnamese designers to present at fashion shows including New Year’s Eve 1999 – 2000 and Duyen Dang Viet Nam (Vietnam’s Charms) in 2003. His designs have also been shown at international fashion festivals in the Republic of Korea, Japan and France. Chung first appeared in 1994 with his label “Chung Fashion Trademark". Since then he has won several awards for his engagement in fashion. In 2002 - 2003, his shows, 'Hoai Niem Tan Chau' (Always Missing Tan Chau), and Mo Ve Chau A (Dreaming on Asia), presented 400 creations shown by 100 models. It received much critical acclaim from the press. This year, Chung will bring his latest collection, Su Hoi Sinh (The Restoration), to Berlin. Mostly in Tan Chau silk, Su Hoi Sinh is based on traditional Buddhist styles inspiring tranquil and occult images of pagodas, the only collection to do so. Ao Dai designs by Sy Hoang. Seeking inspiration for material, Chung journeyed to Tan Chau in Hong Ngu, Dong Thap province. Taking in the region’s natural beauty and local culture he produced ao dai in classical style, inspired by the colours of nature. Encouraged by his success Chung developed the new trademark ‘Asia Collection’ in April 2000. The collections demand attention due to their innovative design and unique materials. Another outstanding designer, Kieu Viet Lien, 31, was trained in Ho Chi Minh City. When she was 18 she was fortunate to be awarded a visa to study fashion in Australia. After three years in Melbourne, in 1996 she went to Canada for two years and later spent a year in Paris. When Lien returned to Vietnam she opened a bridal fashion shop in Ho Chi Minh City, and her name has since been honoured on local catwalks. Lien’s work is aglow with colours and patterns drawn from the natural world. Her designs are inspired by the seasons and moods of tropical Vietnam. Dresses in her collection are designed in pale hues and with eye-catching curves, emphasising the femininity of her style. Another winner of the Vietnam Collection Grand Prix 2004, Quoc Binh, 25, from Ho Chi Minh City, highlighted his designs with the contrasting, but perfect combination of voile and leather. Quoc Binh also won the Prize for Special Producer at the Asia Collection Makuhari in Japan. His products are gradually carving a niche in the market. Famous fashion designer Si Hoang, better known as the “master of Ao Dai”, has daring creations that enhance the beauty of the ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress). He casts off unwritten rules altering the classical style of his ao dai's to catch the eye and flatter the female form. Si Hoang's fashion creations encapsulate Vietnamese culture. International cultural ambassadors to Vietnam have selected ao dai of his design. Si Hoang has designed and made ao dai's for such personages as the Queen Silvia of Sweden. The list of outstanding designers is growing daily. A design in Su Hoi Sinh collection by Vo Viet Chung. Time for young talents It is not possible to give more that an introductory insight into Vietnamese fashion as it continues to grow and morph. The good news is that Vietnamese fashion designers are active, they are very good and they are gaining recognition, bringing Vietnamese culture and fashion out of the closet. The endless depth of Vietnamese culture is inspiring our designers to create Vietnamese fashion that is from the soul of Vietnam. Although Vietnamese designers have left good impressions on the international scene, there is always room for improvement. International fashion shows give them opportunities to gain more experience from their international colleagues as well as represent their home country. As designer Quoc Binh said, the nation’s modelling world is very new. It is a great opportunity for young designers, to show their talents, styles and creations, without any effects or shadows from available names, as well as providing much space for talented wings to take off. Incoming third chapter: Vietnamese fashion: How they wear?

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