“Greening” fashion

In recent years, Vietnamese fashion has been making a positive mark in the region and the world with its rich source of indigenous materials and a young, dynamic creative community. At the Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall Winter 2023 recently held in Hanoi, once again, the message of "greening fashion" with materials of natural origin and environmentally friendly was promoted by designers and well received by the audience.

Singer Thanh Lam performs a design using ethnic brocade by designer Cao Minh Tien. (Photo provided by the Organizing Committee)

In its 16th edition, Vietnam International Fashion Week (VIFW) chose the theme “Shaping the future”, continuing to honor the green transformation trend that is spreading strongly on a global scale. In the simplest terms, greening fashion means prioritizing materials of natural origin and being environmentally friendly, increasing usage time and reducing waste by recycling... No longer a small movement in a few pioneering brands, green fashion has officially become a trend that encourages Vietnamese designers to be creative, from school-level competitions to national competitions, all have the mark of green design. In addition, according to the assessment of many domestic and international experts, Vietnamese fashion has many advantages to exploit. For example, thousands of traditional craft villages across the country, the diversity and uniqueness of ethnic communities, the long history of cultural exchange and many world-class heritages have been recognized... The collections recently introduced to the public at the Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall Winter 2023 event partly demonstrate the inheritance and promotion of those values. In the opening show on the evening of November 8, designer Vu Viet Ha brought the collection "Wave Silk" with the main materials being silk, linen, satin... and the weaving, dyeing, steaming, and drying processes are done by hand by artisans, limiting industrial chemicals. With the main colors of white and blue, minimalist motifs, the outfits adhere to the spirit of sustainable fashion, bringing comfort and high applicability to the wearer. The highlight of the collection is the evening dress with a stylized collar like the ao dai, combined with a conical hat - a type of hat used by northern women in the past to protect against the sun and rain - made of raw silk, made by an artisan from the Chuong conical hat craft village (Thanh Oai, Hanoi). The models perform to the background music of pianist Pho An My, saxophone artist Quyen Thien Dac and singer Hong Nhung, creating a melodious, nostalgic effect. Another source of inspiration, although not new, always surprises and delights fashion lovers, which is the life in the highlands. The collection "A new shirt" by designer Cao Minh Tien turns the fashion runway in the middle of Hanoi into a free and brilliant mountain and forest space. The brocade panels combined with modern denim fabric create almost unique, non-repetitive designs. The story of bringing folk materials into contemporary life not only aims at being environmentally friendly but also has the value of connecting and promoting many traditional crafts that are at risk of disappearing of ethnic minorities, such as: linen weaving, indigo dyeing, beeswax painting, brocade embroidery... Also aiming at the wild beauty of the great wilderness, the collection "Love Market" by designer Hoang Quyen shows off the art of painting. Flowers, leaves, mountains, clouds... are gracefully and meticulously hand-painted on designs of fluttering dresses and shirts. Notably, the participation of young designers of generation Z (born in 2000 or later) has made a strong impression with new perspectives. Born in 2000, Phan Dang Hoang, a young Vietnamese designer who has made a splash in the world of high-end fashion in recent times, immersed the audience in the exhibition space with vivid "sculptural" works through the "Sculpture" collection that was previously launched in the form of a digital show at Milan Fashion Week (Italy). The collection is based on the transformations of shapes in the works of Ms. Diem Phung Thi (real name Phung Thi Cuc, 1920-2002), a Hue-born female artist famous worldwide in the field of sculpture. The combination of a series of complex techniques such as deconstruction, embroidery, lacquer, printing on contemporary materials such as silk, linen, tweed, velvet, leather... makes Phan Dang Hoang's designs conquer both experienced experts and the general public. Designer Nguyen Thanh Danh, valedictorian of the Fashion Design Department (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology), debuted at Vietnam International Fashion Week with the "Satellite" collection, which has a genderless style and breaks all conventional shape standards, keeping up with the trend that is loved by today's youth. Pham Tran Thu Hang, a female designer born in 1997, is known for her talent in turning scraps of fabric and old clothes into new fashion products, continuing to spread the spirit of environmental protection through a children's fashion collection with materials mainly recycled denim, cotton, vegan leather... The fashion event also recorded many collections from international brands from Indonesia, Thailand, the Netherlands... with the same orientation of sustainable development. It can be said that fashion is a very special field when creativity can bring economic value, while contributing to preserving and promoting many traditional cultural features of the country and people. As a young name in the world fashion industry, Vietnamese designers need to take advantage of available resources and maintain their own identity if they want to go the long way and be supported by the public at home and abroad in the future.

HAI LAM

Nhandan.vn