Fashion model Tuyet Lan will wear a design from fashion designer Thuy Nguyen during the show Tinh Tang (Folk Sound) in HCM City on April 17. — Photo dep.com.vn

The show will feature her latest collections of more than 60 ao dai designs on a stage with sound and light effects.

Her designs are a combination of simplicity and utility in natural colours, including ao dai in high-quality materials like satin, silk and velvet.

Thuy uses not only red and black, her favourite colours, but also vibrant elements like lemon green, golden yellow, mid-night blue, scarlet and lotus pink.

Her clothes are inspired by Dong Ho paintings, a folk woodblock art printed on paper from the bark of the do tree by artisans from Dong Ho Village in the north with colours made from natural materials.

Each of her design features traditional cultural values of the country.

Thuy has worked with catwalk director Xuan Lan and composer Ngo Hong Quang on the catwalk event.

"I wanted my collection to be a mixture of luxury fashion and simple real life in the ao dai. I hope my trends will be popular among urban women every season of the year,” sai Thuy, founder of the fashion brand Thuy Design House.

Although she likes working on ready-to-wear and luxury designs, Thuy said in a recent interview with local media that that if Vietnamese designers do not create ao dai for formal and informal uses, “they will remain amateurish”.

“My designs’ shapes are distinctly Vietnamese,” said the 38-year-old.

Thuy, a native of Hanoi, began her love for fashion after moving to live with her husband in Ukraine in 2003. She studied painting at school but is self-taught at fashion design.

In December, her oil-on-canvas painting, Sương Mù Đỏ Thẫm (Dark Red Fog) (160x160cm), sold for US$100,000 in an online auction at Sotheby’s.

The (RED) Auction 2018 for the Global Fund aimed to raise money to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS among people living on the outskirts of the Saharan region in Africa.

Her painting, which featured a foggy, red sky, was the only included work from Vietnam.

The auction gathered big names in the art world like Jeff Koons, Sean Scully, Ai Wei Wei, Wangechi Mutu, Sir Jonny Ive, Marc Newson, Christo, Marilyn Minter, Frank Gehry, Guillermo Kuitca and Teresita Fernández.

In 2016, Thuy was invited to be a costume designer for Cô Ba Sài Gòn (The Tailor), an award-winning romantic comedy produced by movie star and producer Ngo Thanh Van.

The film features Vietnamese women living in Sai Gon (now HCM City) in the 1960s. The city’s traditional culture and lifestyle are also highlighted.

It was screened and honoured at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in Busan, Korea in 2017.

Its leading character, young actress Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc of HCM City, was named Face of Asia at in the category Asia Star Awards 2017. She shared the title together with three actors from South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

In Cô Ba Sài Gòn, Thuy worked hard to create all ao dai creations. Her art highlights the timeless beauty of the Vietnamese dress.

Thuy has worked for several TV shows and with top artists and fashion icons.

She is also a founder of The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, a cultural centre that encourages young artists in different fields.

Tinh Tang will attract 30 fashion models, including top faces such as Tuyet Lan and Mau Thuy.

The show will take place at 7pm on April 17 at the Continental Saigon Hotel at 132-134 Dong Khoi Street in District 1.

VNS