Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group: The journey to bring Vietnamese beauty to the world continues.

“The one who never runs out of fire” Nguyen Thi Nga is always determined that one day, Vietnam will also have “must-visit destinations”, with products bearing Vietnamese cultural values ​​that the world… must remember. Every catwalk step of the models at the Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show held at the international-class InterContinental Hanoi Westlake hotel last weekend attracted the eyes of the audience. And when the MC of the program said his thanks at the end of the event, many gasps, admiration mixed with a bit of regret rang out in the applause thanking the artists and the program's Organizing Committee for bringing a performance that was satisfying in both sound and image. There was an unexpected harmony between the flowing, fluttering ao dai and the strength, charm, luxury and elegance, hidden within the stereotype of the kimono and the sound of the 25-string koto performed by artist Miwa Naito. Nearly a year ago, through the introduction of Mr. Yamada Takio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group, coincidentally met the famous designer Kobayashi Eiko. The conversation between two talented women, from two different cultures, but sharing the same soul of loving art, loving beauty, and the same desire to spread that love to everyone... resulted in a Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show. Although being the national costumes for women of two countries, Kimono and Ao Dai have countless similarities. That is, both costumes use many vertical cuts to enhance the graceful, elegant beauty of Asian women. Those are delicate, meticulous, and soft hand-embroidered motifs. And more than that, many people have mentioned the default pride of Vietnamese and Japanese women when wearing the national costume. All limits and differences seem to be erased, leaving only like-minded souls, listening and enjoying the beauty of lines and colors...

Immersed in that space imbued with Vietnamese - Japanese culture, standing next to the dedicated organizers of the Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show, Ms. Nga could not hide her joy and pride. "We have added a beautiful mark to the friendship, cooperation and sharing relationship between the Vietnamese and Japanese people over the past 50 years and will continue to be stronger in the next 50 years, at even further milestones in the future," Ms. Nga shared. Ms. Nga and BRG Group have a special relationship with the country and people of Japan, crystallized in many products and projects that BRG and its partners have implemented. From the juicy, fragrant, nutritious Aomori apples imported to Vietnam, to the Fujimart supermarket chain, which has become a trusted shopping destination for the people of Hanoi, to the Smart City of North Hanoi, where many expectations are placed on a high-quality, modern living environment with cutting-edge 4.0 technologies... "During its 30 years of operation, BRG Group has always sought out partners who are not only dedicated and visionary from all over the world, but also share the same vision for sustainable development, with the goal of improving the quality of life of the people" , Ms. Nga shared the reason why BRG Group is always dedicated and invests in high-end products, bringing unique experiences, even though the journey to create them often requires hard work and perseverance. Ms. Nga is passionate about beauty and art. She reads a lot, travels a lot and spends a lot of time experiencing cultures, visiting iconic structures of lands around the world. Each time like that, she is always determined that one day, Vietnam will also have similar "must-see destinations", with products bearing Vietnamese cultural values ​​that the world must remember. Until now, many people when meeting the "always fiery woman" still ask about the hard work of developing Chu Dau ceramics, an ancient ceramic line founded by the founder of the craft, Bui Thi Hy, in the 15th century. The "royal use" ceramic line, originally reserved for kings and the elite of ancient society, was thought to be lost, to restore it with products that are beautiful in shape, bright in glaze, sophisticated in decorative patterns, thin as paper, clear as jade, white as ivory, ringing like bells... is an extremely arduous process, taking a lot of effort, if not enough passion, not enough love, then it may not reach the destination. But for Ms. Nga, the simple reason is not only to develop the ancient ceramic line with hundreds of years of history, to preserve a Vietnamese product, but also to accept the mission of "bringing Vietnamese identity to shine across five continents". Up to now, Chu Dau ceramics have traveled around the world, displayed in 46 museums, becoming a national brand. Chu Dau ceramics have been chosen as national gifts by senior Vietnamese leaders in important events at home and abroad. The headquarters of Chu Dau Ceramic Joint Stock Company is a tourist and experience destination in Hai Duong province, the company's product lines are increasingly loved, chosen and trusted by many Vietnamese families. Talking with Japanese friends at the Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show event, Ms. Nga spent a lot of time talking about Chu Dau ceramics, talking about the contribution of a Japanese ambassador in the journey to restore the precious ceramic line. She enthusiastically talked about the image of Chu Dau with its specialized rice fields for rice husk ash yeast or recreating and simulating the ancient river trade activities; talking about the land with a vast, open space, imbued with Vietnamese culture that she loves... Those who know Ms. Nga all say that they always see the full energy in the stories about the journey, dreams and aspirations of Vietnamese people who love beauty, love her country, no matter where, in what context, in what job. The projects that BRG has developed and is developing, such as the Smart City of North Hanoi, clearly demonstrate the will of the Group's leader like Ms. Nga, when not only bringing the beauty of architecture and urban landscape, but also bringing top quality of life to residents and becoming a livable place, a place where people not only have access to modern scientific and technological applications, but are also truly satisfied with their lives. “It is not only a smart city, but also a happy city,” Ms. Nga shared. Another example of Ms. Nga’s vision and passion is the Fujimart supermarket chain in Vietnam. As a mother, a wife who loves her family, and a grandmother who loves her grandchildren very much, Ms. Nga wants to bring the best shopping experiences, fresh quality goods and the most suitable prices, contributing to improving the living standards of families in Vietnam.

The Organizing Committee and guests received souvenirs from the Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show. From left to right: Mr. Yamada Takio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam; Ms. Mori Masako, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan; Ms. Kobayashi Eiko, designer and founder of Be-Japon; Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group

“ In economic activities, women are often not as strong as men, but they are skillful and meticulous. I long to introduce Vietnamese products and Vietnamese beauty to international friends, especially products bearing the mark of the hands and minds of Vietnamese women. Deep in my soul, I always long to bring beauty, sophistication, cultural values, and the quintessence of humanity to the Vietnamese people. Our projects are not many, not large-scale, but they are implemented very carefully and thoroughly with such wishes and aspirations,” Ms. Nga shared. That is the reason why, with limited time, Ms. Nga still participates in taking on the role of Vice President of the Hanoi Urban Planning and Development Association. She has made many contributions, wishing that the Capital will have many modern constructions, which are symbols of new vitality, strong development, creating a driving force for socio-economic development for Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general in the future. The journey of bringing Vietnamese beauty to the world and bringing unique cultural values ​​​​from around the world to the Vietnamese people of her and BRG Group is still continuing...

At the World Council for Women (WAW) Conference held in Japan in December 2022, I met Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group, who is also the co-organizer of the Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show, and was invited by her to attend the event. I came to Hanoi with great excitement, looking forward to enjoying this show. The program is an opportunity to widely introduce the appeal of Kimono and Ao Dai, the traditional costumes of the two countries, as well as the world of beauty created by the combination of the two costumes. The program is one of the events celebrating the 50th anniversary, contributing to building the foundation for Japan - Vietnam relations to develop further, towards the future, reaching the world. - Ms. Mori Masako, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan “Kimono - Aodai Fashion Show is the first program in a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Japan, organized for the first time in Asia by Be Japon and is a special gift to celebrate March 8 - the day the world honors women around the world. I see that many Japanese women and Japanese men love the Vietnamese Ao Dai. I am extremely proud of this. The combination of two iconic costumes Kimono and Ao Dai has created a unique cultural event, contributing to further strengthening the friendship, cooperation and exchange between the Vietnamese and Japanese people, in both the economic and cultural fields”. - Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group

PV