A fashion show to highlight áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) will open the Áo Dài Festival 2017 on HCM City’s Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street in District 1 on March 3.

The show Charming Vietnamese Áo Dài will attract 30 fashion models in áo dài from the latest collections by designers such as Sĩ Hoàng, Thuận Việt and Võ Việt Chung.  

The event is one of many cultural and art activities of the annual Áo Dài  Festival, organised by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

This year, the festival’s theme is Áo Dài- Tôi Yêu Việt Nam (Áo Dài - I Love Việt Nam), aiming to honour and promote traditional cultural values as well as the beauty and grace of the áo dài, which has become the symbol of feminine beauty in Việt Nam.

The event will include an exhibition on áo dài at the Áo Dài Museum and two open-air music and song programmes featuring pop stars and young singers, including Đông Nhi, Hương Tràm and Noo Phước Thịnh. 

More than 40 garment and textile companies and fashion houses have signed to join the two-day festival.

A contest on designing áo dài for the workplace as well as ceremonies and festivals will also be organised by the city’s Youth Cultural House.

Dozens of photo and picture exhibitions on women in áo dài will be held at universities and cultural centres around the city.

Last year, the festival attracted more than 50,000 foreign and local visitors.

VNS