Historical background

Vietnam is a country located in the center of Southeast Asia. Over thousands of years, Vietnam has formed a rich and vivid cultural identity, deeply reflected in its designs, costumes and traditional handicrafts.. Vietnamese culture and art are extremely diverse, ranging from traditional handicrafts, costumes to religious festivals, and it would also be impossible not to mention folk art. In folk art, it is crucial that we talk about different art genres such as Dong Ho paintings , Kim Hoang paintings, or paintings from Sinh village... Personally, my utmost favourite is Hang Trong folk art, which is a famous Vietnamese painting style associated with Hang Trong street. Hang Trong paintings are undeniably a meaningful visual heritage that showcases and honors the Vietnamese spiritual life.

Vietnam - China Cultural Exchange

Vietnam and China are two neighboring countries, with a profound history of cultural exchange, fashion is without doubt also a factor. In Vietnam, Hang Trong painting style is the folk art that I chose to incorporate into fashion, more specifically the "Ngu Ho" painting. China has a genre of folk art that depicts the act of warding off evil spirits and exorcising ghosts - the "Chung Quy" painting, which is also a style I love. From that point of view, to the competition I submit too different designs. The first one completely references the folk art values of “Ngu Ho”. The second one is a sophisticating yet harmonious combination of the two “Ngu Ho” and “Chung Quy”..

The featured collection has the element of the Silk Road

 The featured design directs focus onto the “Ngu Ho” painting, by using techniques such as woodcutting, and hand-coloring, which are then both transformed and adapted into fashion design. I chose Taffefta silk combined with embossed embroidery, along with thin and shiny threads that create a whole new surface texture, simulating a tiger's fur and stripes. The designs include a jacket with bold standing collar and deconstructed puff sleeves, a stylized contemporary bib that depicts a tiger’s head using magical pattern techniques that creates a multi-layered 3D effect, and lastly trousers with selective embroidery shapes in order to highlight the form. The black, red, yellow, and white color palette echoes the philosophy of the Five Elements, as well as symbolizes the harmony between humans and the universe.

The second design shows a combination of the distinctive swirling cloud motif in Hang Trong paintings, reflecting the protecting power of heaven and earth according to Vietnamese folk beliefs. Along with "Chung Quy", a painting that depicts the legendary god of excorcism in Chinese culture, this design is highlighted through the elegant hand embroidery techniques, appliqués and decorations.

Design Philosophy

“Ngu Ho”, or “The Five Tigers”, represents strength, balance, and protection. I reinterpreted those qualities as a symbol of confidence, courage, and strong individuality. The underlying philosophy is that I want to celebrate the transformation of folk art growing into a essentially vibrant part of our modern life, while still respect the unique beauty and enduring values of traditional Vietnamese culture.