Miss Vietnam 2010, Ngoc Han, now a fashion designer, recently introduced her new Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) collection entitled ‘Vietnamese Fairy Tales’ as a way to support a charity fund-raising programme, which aims to provide free heart surgeries for children.

Fashion designer Ngoc Han 

On the occasion, Ngoc Han granted an interview to Thoi nay (Present day) to talk more about her collection.

Can you tell us more about the making of your new Ao dai collection, ‘Vietnamese Fairy Tales’?

I came up with the idea for an Ao dai collection on the theme of Vietnamese fairy tales six months ago. It took me four months to bring the idea into reality.

Fairy tales are a large treasure in Vietnamese culture and they are familiar to everyone’s childhood.

I had to work closely with painters to pick out the most popular stories as well as the most impressive and appreciated extracts of the stories for the sketches.

The paintings were then processed on a computer in order to select the most appropriate colour for every detail of the paintings so that they could be successfully adapted into flaps of the Ao dai outfits in the collection.

I hope that my collection will help every Vietnamese citizen, particularly children, to remember and understand more about Vietnamese fairy tales.

Aiming to promote Vietnamese culture to children, is this also the reason why you choose children as the models for your collections at fashion shows?

Yes, it is. I love children. When I was a little girl, I liked tailoring outfits for my dolls. I have nurtured my passion for tailoring by making clothes for children when I grew up. I have invested much time and effort in my designs for children.

I have received a number of orders from parents. I am happy that my designs are appreciated by both children and their parents.

Your new collection is in response to a charity programme. Is this the first time you have mixed your work with community activity?

No, it isn’t. Since I was crowned Miss Vietnam 2010, I have actively participated in community activities. I want to create practical benefits for the community through my work.

In an Ao dai fashion show at the Temple of Literature in 2016, I invited people with disabilities to be the role models for my designs.

I hope to inspire the underprivileged people in life and fill them with confidence, courage and motivation to succeed in society.

As a Miss Vietnam, you are often seen at public events in elegant Vietnamese Ao dai rather than splendid gowns. As a fashion designer, most of your collections are Ao dai outfits. Are Ao dai a long-standing passion for you, in both normal lifeyou’re your career?

Yes, they are. I receive a lot of compliments by wearing Ao dai. My job has brought me a lot of opportunities to participate in major cultural programmes at home and abroad.

I have noticed that whenever a Vietnamese Ao dai is introduced on the stage, it has drawn enthusiastic applause from the audience, which has encouraged my passion for Ao dai.

I want to take the opportunity to promote traditional Vietnamese culture. I have released Ao dai collections which were inspired by Dong Ho folk paintings, Vietnamese folk games, and water lilies.

Can you tell us about your upcoming projects and the price of your designs?

My upcoming projects also aim to popularise Vietnamese culture with a focus on Vietnamese folk sayings and proverbs. I believe that my designs will attract much interest from children.

I am sure that learning a saying or proverb through paintings on the two flaps of an Ao dai is very interesting for children.

My designs are sold at an average price so that they are affordable for as many customers as possible.

Nhan Dan