Hanoi (VNA) – The beauty of Vietnamese ao dai (traditional long dress) and Indian saree was spotlighted at a seminar jointly held by the Vietnam – India Friendship Association in Hanoi and Swami Vivekananda Culture Centre under the Indian Embassy in Hanoi on October 18.
“Decorative patterns on Vietnamese women’s shirts, dresses and scarves are unique and imbued with indigenous culture, which is quite similar to those in Indian costumes, particularly those worn by women in the northeast”, said Manu Verma, spouse of the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam at the event.
Besides, traditional clothing illustrates the intrinsic strength of the women, and reflects their sense of responsibility, ability to take care of the family, virtue of sacrifice, ingenuity, and charm, she added.
She described traditional costumes as “identification code” of each woman, and that they hold the cultural value of each nation, as well as imprints of the historical periods.
She said she realised interesting similarities between Vietnam’s ao dai and India’s saree when visiting the Vietnam Women’s Museum.
Verma then made comparison that in the Indian history, their queens wore saree to the battlefield while Hai Ba Trung in Vietnam put on the traditional costumes fighting the enemy. Traditional clothing of both nations is designed to fit women from different ethnic minority groups, and from different areas.
Laying stress on the role of traditional clothing in the modern life, Verma said saree has been favoured by Indian youngsters, which is a good sign of preserving traditional culture.
She also expressed her lasting impression on Vietnamese ao dai, saying it is charming but she was hesitant to wear since she is not as slender as many Vietnamese women. After that designer Ngoc Han presented a long dress to Verma that fits her well.
“When looking at the mirror, I found myself more charming. To tell the truth, traditional clothing fits everyone”, she said.
Nhập Vietnamese and Indian traditional dresses grace catwalks at the seminar. (Photo: VietnamPlus) Designer Duc Hung said Indian traditional costumes somewhat convey the centuries-long history of the nation and he felt the spiritual aspect in the clothing. It is wonderful that they keep popularity until now, among people, especially young ones.
At the seminar, Designer Duc Hung gave the Indian friends an insight into the history of Vietnamese long dress, expressing his pride that the traditional dress has become more popular in daily life and more Vietnamese designers have brought ao dai to international fashion shows such as the New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and Russia Fashion Week,
Hung said that Vietnam’s ao dai has experienced centuries of changing with more charming and comfort as it is nowadays.
He said it’s interesting that ao dai has combined the versions in all three parts Northern, Central, and Southern regions of Vietnam, incorporating the local traits to make it popular and charming.
Meanwhile, Miss Vietnam Ngoc Han said the visit to India three years ago has inspired her to design a collection of ao dai with some hidden combinations from Indian women’s traditional costumes or spiritual values from Indian culture.
The collection has brought the two cultures closer and helped the people-to-people links more effectively, Han said.
Held in the 91st year of the Vietnamese Women’s Day, the seminar is aimed to enhance the friendship and mutual understanding between peoples in the two countries, mostly on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Indian Independence Day and the 76th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day.
On this occasion, HAVIFA held an online photo contest honoring ao dai and saree. The event gained the participation of many organisations, including the Indian community in Vietnam./.
