Who is the HUTECH male student who designed the unique '1,2,3 cheers' costume?

(Dan Tri) - Although not a fashion student, Duc Luong still affirmed his design talent in many competitions. Recently, the male student won the "Inspiring Costume" award at "Miss Grand Vietnam 2023".

Inspired by the typical features of Western weddings with the familiar saying "1, 2, 3 cheers", "Happy Spring Wedding Day" is one of the outstanding costumes at the Miss Grand Vietnam 2022 contest night. This work was performed by Nguyen Duc Luong (born 2000, Ho Chi Minh City) - a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH). The performance not only attracted the attention and love of the online community but also helped other countries learn about the unique "1, 2, 3 cheers" effect of Vietnamese people. "I designed this costume with the desire to bring a bustling, joyful atmosphere and introduce the cultural traditions of Western people to international friends," Duc Luong shared with Dan Tri reporter.

The moment of toasting at a wedding was recreated right on the stage of the "Miss Peace 2022" contest, exciting the audience.

Wanting to become a designer to make ao dai for his mother, Duc Luong's uncle is an art teacher, so the boy was nurtured with fine arts knowledge from a young age. Making friends with a paintbrush helped him realize that he had an artistic "blood" and talent for painting. The boy's first drawing was a picture of his hometown's rice fields, ao dai, conical hats... Just like that, he gradually loved things familiar to Vietnamese people, creating a passion for traditional culture. Knowing that his son liked to draw, Duc Luong's family always supported and encouraged him but did not have enough conditions to send him to a gifted class. Understanding his parents' hardships, the boy did not dare to ask for anything but always explored and improved his painting skills from knowledge accumulated on the internet. At that time, Luong's family was not well off, so every time he went to a meeting or a ceremony, his mother only had one worn-out ao dai to wear. Seeing his mother like that, the boy felt sad and wished he could make an ao dai for his mother with his own hands. "From that moment on, I was determined to nurture my dream of becoming a fashion designer. I still remember when I made my mother the first ao dai, she loved it so much, immediately took it and tried it on, then kept it carefully. Honestly, I have never seen my mother cherish an item so much," he confided.

Duc Luong researched and learned knowledge on his own to pursue his passion for fashion.

Duc Luong used to be a shy boy, not daring to express himself and often having many psychological problems. Thanks to the support and encouragement of relatives and friends, the young man was willing to step out of his comfort zone to affirm his abilities. At the age of 21, the HUTECH male student registered to participate in the National Costume Design Contest at the Miss Transgender Vietnam 2021 contest. The first time he tried his hand at a fairly large playground, he couldn't help but feel worried and scared. However, the fear of missing out on the opportunity was even greater, so he always told himself to do his best so that he wouldn't regret it later. At that time, Luong and his best friend came up with the idea for the "Toad sues the Sky" costume. This was the passion of two male students, conveying a message of courage while expressing the desire for equality and fairness for the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). When he learned that he was in the top 10 national costumes in the contest, Duc Luong felt emotional. Even though he was not selected to continue, he did not consider it a failure. For the male student, this was a motivation to try harder and improve in the following products.

"Toad suing Heaven" is the most favorite design of HUTECH male student.

Bringing traditional beauty into design The beauty of Vietnamese culture is an endless source of inspiration for Duc Luong every time he designs. Not from things that are too big, but from people and everyday activities that bring him unique ideas. For each product, the male student comes up with ideas, then searches for historical documents, carefully studies typical national traditions, suitable for putting into performance costumes. The young man skillfully conveys stories and profound messages into each of his designs. "People often ask me why I only design traditional costumes and not try new things. In my opinion, culture is the past, present and future, it is not only traditional but also has a modern breath. Therefore, as long as culture continues, I will continue to honor these values," he confided.

Duc Luong always meticulously and carefully completes his works right from the sketches.

Besides "Happy Spring Wedding Day", other designs such as "Toad suing the Sky", "Danh bong", "Doan nguyet sue meo" ... also helped Duc Luong's name gradually become known and praised by many people in the profession. Referring to the current trend of renewing traditional costumes, the male student said that the specifics of the fashion industry require designers to constantly innovate. However, with traditional costumes in particular, he never promotes and condemns the innovation that makes cultural values ​​​​disgusting. "I choose to change in moderation to still preserve the traditional quintessence and spirit that I want to convey", the young man shared. Economy is the biggest difficulty . Having a passion for design since childhood but currently a student in the service industry, Duc Luong said that he always aspires to study fashion. Economic conditions do not allow it, so the male student chose Hotel Management to be more secure about the finances as well as the future of his family and himself. "My parents had to borrow a large sum of money from the bank so that I could continue my university studies," the young man said. In addition, he also has a part-time job with an income just enough to pay for his own clothing design expenses. Being busy with many different jobs, he doesn't have much time to take care of himself. Getting enough sleep is gradually becoming a luxury for the Gen Z young man (those born between 1997 and 2012). Luong recalled his mother's advice and choked up: "My mother said that whatever you like is fine, whatever you do, you have to work hard, but she always reminded me not to forget myself because I was so busy looking for opportunities."

In addition to the design award, Duc Luong has impressive academic achievements and is active in extracurricular activities.

To have a complete work in terms of both image and content, Duc Luong has to invest a lot of time and effort. Each set usually takes more than 6 months, some sets were written 4-5 years ago. The biggest difficulty the male student has to face is not having enough money. The average cost for a designed costume is not fixed, usually ranging from a few million to tens of millions of VND. That number is not small for a student like him, but it is not too big for "reviving" national cultural values. "For each design, I often reuse beads, glitter, sewing materials... When the competition or performance ends, I always stay behind to pick up the lost accessories. To maintain my love for the profession, finances are extremely important," he said.

HUTECH male student received the "Inspiring Costume" award at the National Costume contest "Miss Grand Vietnam 2023".

Asked about the pressures of being a new generation designer, Duc Luong said that this is a good opportunity for development but also means that competition will become stronger. "Personally, I think that is a challenge that I must overcome to stand firm in the profession. Instead of being afraid, I cultivate and experiment to constantly renew myself," he expressed. Sharing his wishes for the future, Luong plans to open a showroom of traditional Vietnamese ao dai to promote national culture to international friends. Ngoc Lan Photo: NVCC