Vietnam's footprints on the world runway
The year 2025 marks a strong turning point for the modeling profession. After an 8-year hiatus, the reality TV show Vietnam's Next Top Model (VNTM) returns to inspire a generation of young models.
In addition to the grand prize for the champion, VNTM also surprised everyone by bringing the top 3 to Paris to attend fashion week and take street style photos there. the fashion capital of France. After Dahan Phuong Oanh, the Vietnamese fashion world was abuzz with the appearance of a new Vietnamese model on the world runway, the champion of The Face Vietnam (TFV) 2023. Not only did the second season "reap sweet fruit" at Milan (Italy) and Paris (France) fashion weeks with 6 runway shows, 2 commercial campaigns and many image projects, Huynh Tu Anh also became the first Vietnamese model to perform for Chanel. Her image and the catwalk held in Singapore in early November 2025 "went viral" on many social networks.
Singaporean designer chose Vietnam's Next Top Model and The Face Vietnam champions to walk the runway at Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall Winter 2025. From left: Mac Trung Kien, designer Frederick Lee, Ms. Trang Le, Tu Anh, Mai Hoa
Photo: NVCC
Few people know that to achieve the current success, Tu Anh had carefully prepared 2 years ago. With the guidance from the "mother agency" (Mother Agency - MA) BeU Model, she was brought to Paris to join the international agencies Supreme Model Management and Major Model. After winning a performance at Milan Fashion Week (September 2024), she was signed by Women Management Paris and had the opportunity to touch her "dream" of performing for Chanel.
Model Tu Anh walks for Chanel in Singapore in November 2025
Model Thanh Thuy walks the runway at Milan Fashion Week 2025
Model Kim Phuong walks the runway at Milan Fashion Week 2025
"The first time I went to Milan and Paris, I went with a very hopeful mindset even though I had no experience. And then it's true that dreaming high leads to falling hard," Tu Anh recalls the feeling of disappointment, frustration and self-doubt when she failed the casting (model selection) without knowing the reason. Casting in Europe is completely different from domestic casting, models only have 3 seconds to catwalk and do not receive any feedback. From the experience of falling, she looked back at herself to change and observed international models to learn from experience. She believes that keeping a stable mood to express energy in the best way is the factor that makes her confident and chosen. "When I performed the first show, Calcaterra, I almost cried on the runway," she said. The feeling of "being recognized by the market" helped Tu Anh calm down and become more confident when she realized that her special advantages are the characteristics of Southeast Asian women. Being the only Vietnamese model in foreign castings often becomes a unique feature that international judges remember her for.
Ms. Trang Le, founder of Multimedia JSC, Production Director of VNTM and TFV, has strong faith in the potential of Vietnamese models. More than ten years ago, models who grew up from VNTM such as Tuyet Lan, Hoang Thuy, Kha My Van... were brought by this unit to fashion capitals and each achieved their own success. In the 2010s, the list of Vietnamese models who made their mark on the world runway continued with Thuy Trang, Mau Thuy, Trang Kieu, Ha Kino, Cha Mi... and Tu Anh is the latest face. Ms. Trang commented: "The success of the TFV 2023 champion is not only the pride of an individual but also a testament to the persistent efforts of the entire system; showing that Vietnamese models can conquer heights that we never thought of before."
The key to opening the door of opportunity
Many fashion experts agree that Vietnamese models have their own advantage, which is the typical Asian beauty - this is also what the international market lacks and is always looking for. However, beauty alone is not enough. To be able to turn potential into opportunity, Vietnamese models must overcome countless challenges, from style, discipline, cultural and language differences, to fierce competition with thousands of models from all over the world. In addition to personal qualities such as a progressive spirit, the ability to adapt quickly, hard work and perseverance, models must also be trained according to global standards and have a suitable development path.
Frankly admitting that freelance models still have a chance (albeit very small) to get into the "green eyes" of international fashion houses or agencies, Ms. Trang Le also pointed out that the world fashion industry operates on a professional system and MA plays a very important role. The "big guys" in the industry all need guarantees on legality, schedule, style, career orientation and long-term stability - factors guaranteed by MA. Therefore, the close relationship between MA in Vietnam and international agencies is a bridge that helps open the door for Vietnamese models to enter prestigious catwalks around the world.
Another approach for Vietnamese models to find opportunities to develop abroad is the casting sessions with international selectors at the Vietnam International Fashion Week in recent seasons. The organizers revealed that Kim Phuong, Cao Ngan, Ai Bang, Thanh Thuy... have attracted attention and two of them have had their first performances at Milan Fashion Week this year. In addition to BeU model, Nest model initiated by model Trang Pham has discovered and launched young faces such as Linh Chi, Anh Pham... These two models appeared in fashion campaigns for Prada, Moncler, Emporio Armani; catwalk for JW Anderson, Chopard, Andersson Bell...
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mo-canh-cua-cho-nguoi-mau-viet-ra-quoc-te-185251206211844211.htm
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