Vietnam International Fashion Week: Unique identity “revived” from cultural slices

Vu Viet Ha’s “Who is she?” collection – a declaration honoring the beauty of women through precious materials such as lotus silk and banana silk. (Photo: Contributor/Vietnam+)

After sweeping Paris Haute Couture, designer Julien Fournié will bring his “First Circus” collection to the Vietnamese catwalk, within the framework of Vietnam International Fashion Week Spring Summer 2025, from June 5-8 at Nguyen Du Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City. Each design by Julien Fournié is a work of art, recreating magical characters.

Responding to that spirit, the country's representative Vu Viet Ha will present the collection "Ma dao" - a visual journey inspired by the Bac Ha horse market, where culture, people and brocade colors blend with the rhythm of life in the highlands.

Recreating fantasy characters

After announcing that designer Le Thanh Hoa will open the fashion week, the organizers have just revealed the identity of the first international designer on the show list - Julien Fournié (brand Julien Fournié Haute Couture).

Julien Fournié made a splash with his “First Initiation” collection inspired by Egyptian culture at Vietnam International Fashion Week 2015. Since 2017, this designer has become an official (full member) of the Paris Haute Couture Association – Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

Some designs from the "First Circus" collection were recently presented at Théâtre Mogador (Paris), within the framework of Julien Fournié's Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. Some designs from the "First Circus" collection. (Photo: CTV/Vietnam+)

In that capacity, he was allowed to show in the official schedule of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week and is one of the very few designers in the world to be recognized with the title “Haute Couture” – a title protected by French law and reserved only for fashion houses that meet strict criteria for craftsmanship, have a Paris-based atelier and serve customers who order tailoring on request.

Julien Fournié Haute Couture is currently one of more than 10 fashion houses officially recognized to show at Paris Haute Couture Week each season, alongside leading names such as Chanel, Dior, Giambattista Valli, Schiaparelli, Alexis Mabille, Elie Saab...

Sharing about this special return, designer Julien Fournié said: “Since my first visit here, I have continuously perfected the techniques and spirit of Haute Couture, as well as collaborating with excellent artisans around the world. I am very happy to return to Vietnam in the year I celebrate my 50th birthday, to share and introduce to you the Haute Couture collection that I have devoted so much effort to.”

The designer expressed his desire to meet again with close friends, artists and fashion lovers in Vietnam: “I am eager to return to Ho Chi Minh City next June, to share the joy of dreaming, drawing, designing and performing together.”

Some designs in the "First Circus" collection. (Photo: CTV/Vietnam+)

With “First Circus” - a Haute Couture masterpiece that was presented at Théâtre Mogador (Paris) during the recent Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, Julien Fournié said he will present all 29 designs on the opening night of the show, June 5.

The designer revealed that the collection was the result of a meticulous creative process, carried out by dozens of artisans from around the world, from tailors, beaders, hand embroiderers to technical experts, all closely supervised at his Haute Couture workshop in Paris.

“Each design is a work of art, recreating magical characters such as the princess who broke the magic mirror, the new version of Alice the White Rabbit, the classic clown, the queen of the constellations or the circus ringmaster… All will be 'revived' on the catwalk,” said Julien Fournié.

Designer Julien Fournié. Some designs in the "First Circus" collection. Some designs in the "First Circus" collection. (Photo: CTV/Vietnam+)

Each design is a “cultural slice”

Responding to the fashion spirit that designer Julien Fournié brought to the program, taking on the position of closing the Vietnam International Fashion Week S/S 2025, designer Vu Viet Ha said he will present the collection "Ma dao" - a fascinating visual journey, inspired by the horse market in the highlands of Bac Ha, where culture, people and brocade colors blend together in the rhythm of life of ethnic minorities, on the closing night of the program, June 8.

Vu Viet Ha is a typical face representing a unique “identity” of the Vietnamese fashion industry. Not following trends, the designer quietly exploits original, lasting values ​​with a love of traditional materials and the ability to breathe cultural soul into each design, creating a style that bears a strong personal mark.

Vu Viet Ha made his debut at Vietnam International Fashion Week with the collection “Consigning Mong people to the future” (2022) – honoring the beauty of the Black Mong people, to the duo “Song to” (opening the 2023 event) and “Nuoc dau nguon” (closing the 2023 program), and most recently, closing the 2024 program with the collection “Who is she?” – a manifesto honoring the beauty of women through precious materials such as lotus silk and banana silk.

Returning to “Ma dao,” the designer said he was inspired by the Bac Ha horse market, a cultural symbol that exudes a raw, primitive, and free spirit. The collection is a journey to explore the colors of the Northwest through the lens of art.

Each design by Vu Viet Ha bears the mark of traditional Vietnamese culture. (Photo: Contributor/Vietnam+)

“Ma dao” continues the journey of honoring traditional materials, from raw linen, hand-dyed indigo, to the typical buttons of the Dao Dau Bang people… All are meticulously processed, sophisticated down to the smallest detail. In addition, Vu Viet Ha also skillfully combines hand-weaving techniques from linen and silk, meticulously embroidering on many different surfaces.

“Returning to the theme #PureStyleShines - Unique identity creates style, I want to bring the simple but outstanding and unique colors of the Northwest brocade of the Dao Dau Bang, Mong, Nung people... as the main element to create the collection to introduce to the audience. I do not simply bring brocade or stories of each ethnic group into this collection, but the festivals, culture and the quintessence of traditional weaving and embroidery techniques from Vietnamese craft villages,” Vu Viet Ha shared.

He emphasized: “This is a continuation of the flow of identity, a mark of emotion and creativity, and also a way for me to affirm my 'own identity,' not only my personal identity, but more importantly, my Vietnamese identity. With 'Ma dao,' I hope to contribute to bringing Vietnamese cultural values ​​closer to the public at home and abroad.”

It can be said that this designer has affirmed his own creative mark on the Vietnamese fashion map, when he is always loyal to the choice of returning to the roots - where traditional values ​​are elevated by the language of contemporary fashion. For Vu Viet Ha, each design is a "cultural slice," soft but sharp, expressive and full of emotions./.

Vu Viet Ha’s “Who is she?” collection is made from precious materials such as lotus silk and banana silk. (Photo: Contributor/Vietnam+)

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tuan-thoi-trang-quoc-te-vn-ban-sac-rieng-hoi-sinh-tu-nhung-lat-cat-van-hoa-post1039361.vnp