Famous designer's ao dai collection celebrates 'Tet'

Designer Thuy Nguyen’s new collection comprises ao dai designs in vivid colours for women the coming Lunar New Year holiday. (Photo courtesy of Thuy Design House)

HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Vivid colours are featured in a new collection of ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) by well-known fashion designer Thuy Nguyen.

The collection celebrates the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls on January 22 this year.

It includes ao dai designs for women in silk and satin in banana leaf green, light blue, red and lotus pink that the designer has created after her trips to beautiful remote areas across the country.

“I want to highlight Vietnamese women and their beauty through my designs,” said 41-year-old Thuy, founder of the Thuy Design House fashion brand.

A Hanoi native, Thuy studied painting in Ukraine in 2003 and went on to become a self-taught fashion designer. She opened her first store in HCM City in 2011.

In 2016, she was invited to be a costume designer for Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor), an award-winning romantic comedy produced by movie star and producer Ngo Thanh Van.

The film features Vietnamese women living in Saigon (now HCM City) in the 1960s. Its leading character, actress Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc, was named the Face of Asia at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in the Republic of Korea in 2017.

For Co Ba Sai Gon, Thuy created many ao dai for the actors to wear. She said she loves working with Vietnamese satin, silk and velvet.

Thuy loves travelling many places across the country and is inspired by ethnic minority women in remote areas. Each of her designs is linked to stories and dreams that women want to tell and share to the world.

Thuy’s previous collection called To Hong (Pink Silk) was released in May and included 30 designs, including long dress for women.

The collection features Vietnamese folk culture and lifestyle.

Thuy and other designers and local fashion brand names are offering ao dai in different styles and patterns, satisfying women who want beautiful outfits for Tet holiday.

The clothes are made of handloom fabric, linen, taffeta silk, voile and cotton with printed or embroidered patterns of flowers.

The set of ao dai and a pair of silk trousers cost 900,000 VND (37 USD) to 2.5 milion VND (100 USD), depending on quality and design.

“My mom and I want to be charming and traditional in áo dài for visits to my relatives and friends and for photo shot during Tet,” said Nguyen Kim Chi, a 12th grader in District 3./.