The Italian Design Day in Vietnam, offering an opportunity for designers from Italy and Vietnam to meet and exchange their experiences, will open in Vietnam on March 2.

Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni (second right) and “Ambassador of design” Barbara Trebitsch (third right) at a press conference in Hanoi on March 1. 

As an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, main goal of the event is to raise awareness over the history and the evolution of the Italian design industry, share feedback and suggestions with international counterparts and seek and forge connections and exchanges paving the way to innovative international partnerships, according to Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni at a press conference in Hanoi on March 1.

Vietnam’s tremendous economic growth, the distinctive features of a cultural identity that has its cradle and its heart in Hanoi, the city spearheads the fashion and artistic trends and the constant tightening of bilateral relations, the main assets that have gotten the Vietnamese capital on the list of 100 cities chosen by Italy to celebrate Design Day, with the value added of a mission by an Italian “ambassador of design” for this special occasion.

“Around 100 ‘ambassadors’ of Italian culture, including designers; entrepreneurs; journalists; critics; communicators and teachers, will present in a panel discussion Italian design as a unique blend of factors, both material and immaterial, that have kept their distinctive features over the centuries and despite the major overhauls by communication and mobility systems: creativity and originality, top-quality materials, superb construction, production processes that respect the environment, as well as workers and end users, and the highest-quality packaging and advertising”, the ambassador said.

Barbara Trebitsch, former director of the “Domus Academy” Fashion School of Milan, which specialises in the areas of design, fashion and architecture, was selected as Italian “Ambassador of design” for Hanoi.

The Italian Design Day in Vietnam will open at 4:30 pm on March 2 at Casa Italia, No. 18 Le Phung Hieu, Hanoi, with a workshop between “Ambassador of design” Barbara Trebitsch and leading Vietnamese fashion designers, such as Minh Hanh, Hoang Hai and Viet Hung.

The highlight of the programme is the exhibition “50+! The Great Industry Game,” which will be held at 6:30 on March 2 at Casa Italia. 

The exhibition is an iconographic exhibition on design, industry and architecture. 

A journey back in time through iconic items that shaped—along with “Made in Italy” as we know it today—the costumes, history, economy and way of life of Italian society, according to “Ambassador of design” Barbara Trebitsch.

On March 3, a conference will be held at the National University of Civil Engineering. The conference will focus on fashion, architecture and industrial design. The event will feature the participation of the “Ambassador of design” Barbara Trebitsch and representatives of iconic Italian brands, Vietnamese academics and the most outstanding names in the design field that have special ties with Italy and professional experience in our country.

The programme is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni expressed her hope that the progamme would contribute to promoting bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Italy and create a foundation for the same programmes in the future.

Nhan Dan