Vietnamese designers leave their mark with the tradition of putting the year's mascot on costumes

When did you two start the tradition of creating fashion designs featuring the zodiac animal of the year?

VUNGOC&SON: The 2017 Lunar New Year (Year of the Rooster) marked the beginning of our spring collection, incorporating the image of the year's zodiac animal. This collection, launched during the Lunar New Year, featured the "rooster flying an airplane" motif, signifying the start of this special fashion journey. Since then, we have consistently dedicated our efforts to creating unique zodiac animal designs based on the animal representing the new year.

Two designers showcase ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) featuring snake motifs for the 2025 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake). VUNGOC&SON is the collective name of the two designers, Vu Ngoc Tu (right) and Dinh Truong Tung (left).

The motif of two snakes intertwined with clusters of peonies on spring clothing represents the happiness of family reunion.

How did the two brothers receive reactions from customers and fans during their first Lunar New Year collection featuring rooster motifs ? What is the message and meaning behind this collection?

We experienced so many surprises in the first season. In less than a month, all the designs featuring the Year of the Rooster were completely sold out. This motivated us to continue dedicating even more effort to our collections in the following year.

The Spring/Summer 2017 collection, featuring a rooster flying an airplane, symbolizes good fortune. From the image of the rooster soaring into the future, traveling far and wide, we convey a message of fresh beginnings and smooth sailing on all journeys in life to everyone.

The two designers created nine colorful and cheerful animal mascot designs representing the journey of the 12 zodiac animals.

Mini dress featuring a flying rooster motif for the Lunar New Year of the Rooster 2017.

What were the challenges and advantages for you two in incorporating the year's mascot into your outfits?

Incorporating the zodiac animal of the year into our designs has been a hallmark of our fashion line since 2017. We consistently and faithfully follow the idea of ​​incorporating animals representing the new year into our Lunar New Year collections.

Our greatest success and advantage is that we've created a brand identity and a habit for customers to anticipate and embrace this special pattern every year; the biggest challenge, however, is harmonizing many factors – fashion, harmony, modernity, feng shui principles, traditional culture… The goal is to ensure that when wearers put on the garments, they feel they look beautiful, suit their "age," and bring them good luck.

Patterns featuring happy dogs for the Year of the Dog 2018.

The rat mascot pattern for the Year of the Rat 2020 on the ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress).

Images of adorable, colorful snakes are one of the three main motifs in the fashion house's Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

Images of the Year of the Snake are depicted in graphic designs, using printing, embroidery, appliqué, and other techniques on various materials and garment styles.

With the Year of the Snake 2025, a year associated with animals that are not typically considered gentle or beautiful, what challenges did the two designers face when incorporating them into their recently launched collection?

The snake mascot is the animal that took us the most time to perfect in order to achieve a satisfactory design that incorporates all the necessary elements.

The inherent majesty and mystery of the snake as a mascot made creating a gentler and more artistic image a challenge. We had to meticulously handle the colors down to the smallest details, such as the eyes and mouth, to create a harmonious and adorable snake image. The motif of two snakes intertwined with clusters of peonies on the Spring 2025 collection represents happiness and togetherness. Fashion enthusiasts can find the image of the two snakes very cute and colorful, true to the brand's DNA, through modern and versatile designs such as oversized dresses, babydoll dresses, bodycon dresses, and even traditional ao dai.

The cycle continues, and the zodiac animals will return over time. Each animal is a different source of inspiration, carrying different messages and meanings. We have created designs based on 9 zodiac animals of the year and are still awaiting our next projects, continuing the journey of the 12 zodiac animals with our own unique colors.

Miss Hung Temple Giáng My in a traditional Vietnamese dress (áo dài) featuring buffalo motifs for the Lunar New Year of the Ox 2021 and a loose-fitting dress with dragon motifs for the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024.

In a show held at the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office , the two designers showcased designs featuring the cat as the mascot for the Year of the Rabbit 2023.

What were the most memorable highlights in your work and the brand's activities in 2024? What are your thoughts on your fashion journey from the beginning to the present?

For us, 2024 was a year of "Brilliant Youth," with numerous projects, both large and small, highlighted by our two shows, "Youth" and "Happiness," held at Saigon Railway Station and the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library. Looking back, we feel happy and proud to have done our best, contributing and spreading the values ​​of fashion and art, thereby contributing a small part to promoting cultural and tourist destinations and evoking love for our homeland through fashion projects.

Jennifer Pham and Thanh Hang wore outfits featuring cute pig motifs for the Year of the Pig 2019.

What are the plans and projects you two will be undertaking in 2025?

We are launching our first project of 2025, the third show in our "Brilliant Youth" fashion show series. There are many exciting things to come, but we want to keep them a secret to surprise our audience and fans.

The vibrant designs featuring the five tigers, the mascot of the Year of the Tiger 2022, were showcased by the design duo in the Binh Minh fashion show.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Snake (Year of Ất Tỵ), we wish our readers of Thanh Niên newspaper a successful, prosperous, and happy new year!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-trang-tre/ntk-viet-ghi-dau-an-voi-truyen-thong-dua-linh-vat-cua-nam-len-trang-phuc-185250123091753371.htm