Honoring female diplomats and Vietnamese ao dai

Delegates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association attended the program.

The program “Female diplomats with Vietnamese Ao Dai” organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in coordination with the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association on the occasion of Vietnamese Women's Day October 20, has become an emotional meeting between fashion and diplomacy, between tradition and modernity. The event brought together leaders and officials of the diplomatic sector, along with many designers, artisans and more than 100 members of the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association.

Pride in every dress

In the elegant space at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, soft music played, groups of female diplomats strode beside professional models. They were not only performing fashion shows but also telling their own stories – the stories of Vietnamese female diplomats in ao dai. Every step, every smile, every slight turn of the ao dai was standard, confident and graceful.

Showcasing the collection "Color of the Mountain" by designer Han Phuong.

The program brings three fashion collections: “Heritage in Hanoi” by designer Anh Thu – Ao Dai Ngan An brand; “Vietnam brocade” by designer Nguyen Lan Vy and “Sac Nui” by designer Han Phuong – Ao Dai Viet Phuong brand.

Among them, “Heritage in Hanoi” evokes the vibrant and charming life of the thousand-year-old capital in a discreet and luxurious form; “Vietnam brocade” takes the audience into the dance of brocade, silk, and the – where traditional patterns blend with a modern spirit. Meanwhile, “Sac Nui” brings the breath of the mountainous region to the city, telling the story of the village through brilliant colors and brocade embroidery techniques...

The combination of female diplomats and professional models is a creative highlight, making each performance a message: Vietnamese female diplomats are not only foreign ambassadors but also cultural ambassadors, spreading the beauty of Ao Dai to friends around the world.

Speaking at the program, Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang sent his congratulations to all female diplomatic staff, and affirmed: "Ao dai is not only a traditional costume, but also a symbol of the identity, intelligence and beauty of Vietnamese women. In foreign affairs, the image of female staff in ao dai always contributes to spreading the image of a friendly and integrated Vietnam."

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairwoman of the Network of Vietnamese Women Diplomats, also shared that the ao dai has become a symbol accompanying female diplomats on the journey of construction and integration, in multilateral forums.

From a cultural-heritage perspective, Dr. Dang Thi Bich Lien, President of the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association, said: "Ao dai is a vivid cultural work, a crystallization of the harmony between tradition and modernity. Each Ao dai worn by female diplomats is a soft message sent to international friends about an elegant, confident and proud Vietnam."

Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy Le Thi Hong Van also expressed her pride when seeing her colleagues in Ao Dai: "Women diplomats are not only bridges of peace, but also cultural ambassadors, contributing to spreading Vietnamese identity to the world."

The Vietnamese ao dai has become a symbol that is often recognized and loved by international friends.

From tradition to the future

In the history of Vietnamese diplomacy, the Ao Dai has appeared at many important moments. The image of Minister Nguyen Thi Binh at the Paris Conference, or the first female ambassadors of Vietnam to the United Nations, are always imprinted in the international memory because of the elegance and bravery of Vietnamese women. Through each period, the Ao Dai is not only an aesthetic choice but also a message about culture, peace and national identity.

Nowadays, in the context of integration, Ao Dai has more opportunities to develop when many cultural industrial fields are focused on promoting. The creativity of designers and the orientation of national cultural policies open up a new direction for Vietnamese Ao Dai - both preserving tradition and becoming a product with economic value, associated with promoting the image of the country. Honoring and promoting the value of Ao Dai today is not only a cultural need but also a requirement of the times.

Ao dai needs to be recognized as a national cultural asset, with a strategy for preservation, training and systematic creation. Programs connecting designers, artisans, schools and businesses can help ao dai penetrate deeper into contemporary life. Along with that, encouraging the wearing of ao dai in political, diplomatic, educational and tourism events will create motivation for ao dai to have a natural and sustainable presence.

Visitors visit the booth introducing traditional craft village products.

At the event "Female diplomats with Vietnamese ao dai", ao dai was not only performed on stage but also had an exhibition area introducing the process of creating an ao dai: from dyeing, weaving, embroidery to hand-decorating by artisans from craft villages. Each fabric sample, each stitch was introduced as "pages of a book" recounting the history of the craft and the creative working spirit of the Vietnamese people.

The partnership between the Ao Dai Culture Association and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demonstrates an effective model of State-artisan-designer-community linkage, aiming at a sustainable goal: preservation-creation-inspiration. This image is not only a congratulatory ceremony, but also a recognition for those who have been contributing to preserving and promoting the value of Ao Dai, an intangible cultural heritage of the nation.

From the story of “Female diplomat with Vietnamese Ao Dai”, it can be seen that when culture is placed in the right position in diplomacy, familiar images will carry new energy. Ao Dai does not only exist on stage or in ceremonies, but lives with the rhythm of everyday life, with the spirit of integration and creative aspirations of Vietnamese people today.

Closing the program, the Ao Dai still fluttered in the souvenir frames with the bright smiles of many generations of diplomats and culturalists. Behind that was a deep pride - the belief that, despite the changes in time, the Ao Dai will continue to accompany Vietnamese women, continuing to write a beautiful story about identity, intelligence and peace in the international arena.