Ao Dai design contest honours national costume

Hanoi (VNA) - An Ao Dai design contest has been jointly launched by the Vietnam Women’s Union and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with an aim of promoting both the image and the cultural value that the traditional long dress has in Vietnamese society.

Each entrant is allowed to send a total of five separate designs for consideration by the competition’s organising board, reported radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

Entries can either be of Ao Dai designs for women or children of a variety of different ages and are encouraged to combine modernity with tradition.

The organisers are set to prioritise designs that make use traditional materials such as silk, brocade, and embroidered patterns.

All submissions must be original and have never competed in other fashion design contests previously.

With the deadline for entries set for June 30, the competition’s preliminary round will take place from July 1 to July 10.

The contest’s best 60 designs will then compete to progress to the final round which is set to take place from October 5 to October 10 following an online vote for the public’s favourite designs from September 20 to September 30.

The awards are set to be divided into two categories, with one prize going to amateur entries while another will go to professional designs. Each category will have one first-place prize, two second-place prizes, three third-place prizes, and four isolation prizes.

Some of the sub-categories on offer include awards for the most creative ideas, the best young designer, and the most popular design.

An awards ceremony and an Ao Dai fashion show will get underway in a ceremony to mark 90 years of founding the Vietnam Women’s Union on October 20, 2020./.