Throughout his more than 30-year career, David Minh Duc has not only designed ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) but also researched the history of Vietnamese clothing, restored many types of traditional Vietnamese costumes, inspired the younger generation, and brought the image of Vietnamese ao dai to international friends.
Photo: Provided by the interviewee
The designs in this collection by David Minh Duc, with 30 years of experience, bear the mark of tradition and refined creativity. Unlike typical fashion shows, this program is not a conventional collection presentation but a combination of fashion, lighting, dance, and art installation. Featuring a series of Vietnamese traditional costumes and ao dai (long dresses) in a contemporary folk style, the lighting creates emotional depth, and the dance expresses the journey of the "Mother" protecting her people. Through the language of fashion, David Minh Duc tells his own story: pursuing the mission of restoring, preserving, and spreading the heritage of the Vietnamese ao dai.
Sharing his thoughts on the designs in the " 30 Years of Honoring the Heritage of Vietnamese Ao Dai" collection , the designer said he came to fashion thanks to his mother. As a child, his mother taught him every stitch, the softness of silk, the patience of tailoring, and the subtleties of East Asian culture.
Born and raised in Hanoi , David Minh Duc is known as one of the pioneering fashion designers who brought the Vietnamese ao dai (traditional dress) to international and national events. This collection features 50 ao dai designs, showcased by 45 models.
Photo: Provided by the interviewee
It was his love for his mother, and later his gratitude for Vietnamese women, that shaped the fashion path he chose. From wedding fashion to ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), and then to projects reviving Vietnamese traditional clothing, David Minh Duc gradually became an iconic figure in the fashion world. His ao dai designs have appeared in many fashion capitals around the world , and his Vietnamese traditional clothing designs are highly regarded for their respect for culture and art.
Each of David Minh Duc's designs is oriented towards the image of the Vietnamese woman – a mother in life, a role model in culture, and an endless source of energy for art.
Photo: Provided by the interviewee
The designer said that while visiting the Fujian Assembly Hall during a stroll through Hanoi's Old Quarter, he deeply felt the sacred energy of Thien Hau Thanh Mau – the goddess who protects the people of the riverine region. Moved by the image of the Holy Mother, David Minh Duc dedicated time to researching, designing, and creating Vietnamese costumes to offer to her – as a gesture of gratitude from the people of Hanoi to the revered Holy Mother. From here, he began to shape his own design style: fashion connected to spirituality, culture, and profound spiritual values.
The "30 Years of Honoring the Heritage of Vietnamese Ao Dai" program was held in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a symbol of cultural exchange and a place that preserves the memories and architecture of the past.
Photo: Provided by the interviewee
The designs in the collection are all crafted from characteristic East Asian materials: Ha Dong silk, Tan Chau satin, Korean organza raw silk, Indian taffeta, and Shanghai brocade. Against this backdrop are intricate hand-embroidered motifs, vibrant folk colors, and bold cuts, yet still retaining the Vietnamese spirit. He stated: "The Old Quarter is where the Hanoi ao dai used to be seen every day; I want to bring it back to the streets, back to the rhythm of life, not just to the runway."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dien-ao-dai-trong-khong-gian-pho-co-ha-noi-185251116120544878.htm
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