Bringing ethnic minority fashion to the international stage

Vietnam fashion mark

In fact, Vietnam has a lot of potential to promote the beauty of indigenous culture. With 54 ethnic groups living together throughout Vietnam from North to South with the cultural characteristics of the Northwest, Central Highlands, and Southwest. In the process of forming and developing ethnic history, each ethnic group has its own identity, enriching Vietnamese culture.

This is also a material for Vietnamese fashion to exploit and create unique costumes that reach the world. In 2018, at the Miss International Tourism Contest, beauty Dieu Linh chose the traditional costume of the Mong people. This is also the first time that the culture of the Mong people has been introduced by a Vietnamese beauty at an international contest.

One of the factors that contributed to the historic victory of Miss Bao Ngoc at Miss Intercontinental 2022 is the costume "Miss Dao Do". With its characteristic red - yellow - blue colors and the highlight being the skirt of the dress with the image of a brilliant fan, Bao Ngoc confidently expressed and conveyed the national identity on the international battlefield. "Miss Dao Do" was inspired by the wedding dress of Dao Do women with typical brocade motifs.

Also in 2022, Vietnamese national costumes shine at the Bangkok Kids International Fashion Week in Bangkok. It is known that Bangkok Kids International Fashion Week is an international fashion event that brings together many famous fashion houses in the world and is awaited by fashionistas every year.

The “Going to the Market” collection with 12 designs inspired by the culture of ethnic groups such as Ha Nhi, Si La, Tay, Pa Then, Dao Do, Thai, La Hu, Mong... brings a new and impressive image of Vietnamese costumes to the international public. Vietnamese designs have been welcomed by international friends and received a shower of compliments.

In 2024, the " Lao Cai Brocade Festival - Cultural Colors" with the theme "Sa Pa - Brocade of the Misty and Cloudy Land" became a place for Tay designer Vu Thao Giang to tell the story of her Tay ethnic group through brocade.

The collection named “Mother’s Color” used indigo fabrics, brocade colors deeply engraved in the designer’s memory. The collection left a beautiful impression of Vietnamese fashion on international friends during the Festival week in Lao Cai.

Exploiting the diversity of national culture

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong - Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism (VICAST), Vietnam has the advantage of the strength of diverse national identity. Each ethnic group has a distinct national identity, with unique traditional costumes. Vietnamese people have intuitive thinking and good ability to coordinate colors, which is one of the reasons why Vietnamese fashion has the strength to develop strongly.

Fashion is a highly profitable industry in Vietnam and has the potential to reach out to the international market. In particular, unique designs from brocade, silk, lotus silk, etc. In addition, the fashion and handicraft industry is creating jobs for many people, including disadvantaged people such as women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities.

However, to effectively exploit ethnic cultural materials in fashion designs, relying only on the manual techniques, shapes, and colors of the costumes of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups is not unique enough. Designers use fascinating cultural stories, combining tradition and modernity to "breathe life" into their collections.

Cultural stories can be expanded, not only images of mothers and children of ethnic minorities. But also festivals, specialties, dishes, legends, and epics of ethnic people. For example, the "Banh Tet" costume of Miss Kim Dung, which she performed at Miss Universe 2021, caused a lot of resonance in the international arena about a dish imbued with Vietnamese identity.

Or most recently, at the Paris Fashion Air show, part of Paris Fashion Week 2025, a young Vietnamese designer introduced a fashion collection that honors traditional beauty. He has spent many years studying and working in Germany. His debut collection at the fashion week was inspired by many Vietnamese folk cultural materials such as conical hats, three-piece hats, woven bamboo and rattan bags, Dong Ho painting motifs, etc.

Huong Ngoc

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/dua-thoi-trang-dan-toc-thieu-so-ra-san-dien-quoc-te-post545619.html