Designer David Minh Duc returns with a collection of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dresses) that celebrates heritage.

Some design samples from the collection.

The collection features 50 ao dai designs, showcased by 45 renowned Vietnamese models, under the direction of Creative Director Vinh Nguyen. Notably, the collection was not presented in a conventional way, but rather through multimedia art, combining fashion , lighting, dance, and installation art.

The designs in the collection are crafted from characteristic East Asian materials such as 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, while still retaining the Vietnamese spirit.

Designer David Minh Duc poses for a photo with leaders of Hoan Kiem ward and the Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board.

Sharing his thoughts on the designs in his collection "A 30-Year Journey Honoring the Heritage of Vietnamese Ao Dai," David Minh Duc said that the collection was inspired by a visit to the Fujian Assembly Hall during a stroll through Hanoi's Old Quarter. Moved by the image of Thien Hau Holy Mother, David Minh Duc spent months researching, designing, and creating Vietnamese costumes to offer to the Holy Mother – as a gesture of gratitude from the people of Hanoi to the revered Holy Mother. From there, he began to define his own design style: fashion connected with spirituality, culture, and profound spiritual values.

The opening ceremony of the performance.

David Minh Duc entered the world of fashion through "his mother's guidance." As a child, his mother taught him every stitch, the softness of silk, the patience required in tailoring, and the subtleties of East Asian culture. It was his love for his mother, and later his gratitude to all 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 has gradually become an iconic figure in the fashion world. His ao dai designs have appeared in many fashion capitals around the world ; his Vietnamese traditional clothing designs are highly regarded for their accuracy, cultural expertise, and artistic merit.

The contemporary folk style he has pursued for many years has created a unique design language: traditional but not outdated, modern but not rootless, elegant but not ostentatious.

Each of David Minh Duc's designs is geared towards the image of the Vietnamese woman: gentle, strong, compassionate, and beautifully pure.

Sharing his reasons for placing the designs in Hanoi's Old Quarter, David Minh Duc said: "The Old Quarter is where the Hanoi ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) used to be seen every day. I wanted to bring it back to the streets, back to the rhythm of life, not just to the runway." This helps make this collection not just beautiful clothes, but a heritage brought back to life, admired in its local setting.

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. Since the age of 13, when he was a young boy passionate about hair and wedding dress design, he has nurtured the dream of modernizing traditional Vietnamese clothing. He has designed ao dai for contestants in international competitions such as Miss Earth 2007, and brought his "Dragon,麒麟 (Kirin), Turtle, and Phoenix" collection to the international stage…

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.

Here are some of the designs in the collection: