Exhibition "The Artistic Style of Our Traditional Clothing"

The exhibition "The Beauty of Vietnamese Ao Dai" will take place from May 26th to June 2nd, 2026 at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam. This event celebrates the beauty of the Vietnamese Ao Dai through designs deeply rooted in folk culture, along with images of the Vietnamese Ao Dai on its journey around the world.

Organized by designer Cao Minh Tien, the program featured designer and former Miss Vietnam Ngoc Han, designer Che Quyet Tien, and students from the Textile & Fashion Department of the University of Economics and Industrial Technology, offering multifaceted perspectives on the ao dai and traditional Vietnamese clothing through generations of creativity.

Carrying the message of spreading love for national culture and promoting the image of Vietnam to domestic audiences as well as international tourists, "The Art of Vietnamese Clothing" is not simply a fashion exhibition, but also a journey of storytelling about Vietnamese identity through the language of fashion, art, and cultural memory.

On this occasion, designer Cao Minh Tien introduced a collection inspired by Dong Ho folk paintings - one of the typical artistic heritages of Vietnamese culture.

Familiar images associated with folk life, such as traditional symbols, distinctive color palettes, and the cheerful spirit of Dong Ho paintings, are reinterpreted using modern fashion language, creating an interesting interplay between traditional visual heritage and contemporary creativity.

In addition, Cao Minh Tien also officially launched his photo book about Vietnamese Ao Dai. Conceived and compiled from over 10 years of creative work, the book is a storytelling journey through images filled with emotion and passion about the Ao Dai and the creative innovations surrounding the beauty of this Vietnamese garment.

The book chronicles the entire process of the ao dai's creation – from the initial sketches, pattern making, cutting and sewing, to the refinement of Vietnamese costume designs through different historical periods.

Through meticulously crafted fashion photoshoots featuring the traditional Vietnamese ao dai, fashion enthusiasts can gain a concise yet profound understanding of the historical trajectory of this garment through simple, relatable, and easily understandable visual language.

The book also showcases Cao Minh Tiến's journey in spreading the beauty of the Vietnamese Ao Dai across the globe, as he takes the traditional garment on a "journey" through many countries and leaves behind special impressions.

At the exhibition, Miss Ngoc Han presented a special collection of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) developed from her Master's thesis, inspired by the patterns and motifs carved on the doctoral steles at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam.