Designer Minh Hanh believes that in order to touch the traditional ao dai, to touch the value of identity, the designers must have enough strength to express it because otherwise it will become an unfortunate disaster.
Designer Minh Hanh introduced the history of Vietnamese ao dai through periods. (Photo: Xuan Mai / Vietnam +) The first phase of the campaign to bring ao dai to become a heritage with the desire to further promote the beauty of ao dai, so that this costume becomes a symbol of Vietnamese women in the new era, has officially started. with the program “Our Ao Dai,” taking place on the evening of April 9, at Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi. Contributing a great part in this activity is the designer Minh Hanh, who has always persisted in preserving traditional materials, constantly spreading that spirit to the younger generation of stylists. Regarding the big Ao Dai festival using only hemp and silk as a way to honor traditional values, designer Minh Hanh shared with reporters. Hemp – a legacy of tradition – It can be said that this is the first time hemp fabric has become the main material for a Ao Dai festival like the program “Our Ao Dai,” with 15 collections by 15 designers. In fact, not many people know about this special traditional material, ma’am? Designer Minh Hanh: Perhaps no one knows, over the past decade, Ms. Thuy [bà Đỗ Hồng Thúy – người tìm ra phương thức dệt vải gai ở Việt Nam – PV] had to fumble and groped to produce hemp. In particular, with thorns, everyone is familiar with the leaves being used to make cakes, but the stems are used to weave fabrics, not everyone knows. With the “revival” of the seemingly forgotten traditional material, I still happily call Ms. Thuy the “ancestor” of Vietnamese ramie. 
Hemp leaves are used for cakes, and the body for fibers to weave cloth. (Photo: Xuan Mai / Vietnam +) Ms. Thuy currently has a factory in Thanh Hoa with an output of 5,000 ha of hemp / year. This has brought new value to Vietnamese hemp when entering the market. 15 collections presented in the program “ Ao dai Ours ”on the evening of April 9 at Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam all used traditional fabrics of thorns and silk. These materials give us a strong belief and make sure that thanks to it, Vietnamese fashion will develop. Both silk and thorn are traditional materials. If silk is considered a beautiful, gentle, cool, very expensive and luxurious girl, then thorns are quite friendly and pleasant girl. Because when I wear thorns, I do not have to keep much care but wash it easily. The characteristics of each product have its own merits. Regarding the quality of the hemp fabric, it can be confirmed that it also exceeded my expectations. I still often say to Thuy: “Just try to go, after the rain, it is still dirty, so I still have to make hemp cloth until I am exhausted and exhausted.” It can be said that in Vietnam, we have never had such a proud material. In traditional materials, ramie is the heritage with the core of standard value and friendliness. 
Yarn from thorn. (Photo: Xuan Mai / Vietnam +) – In addition to the values coming from the materials, what are the highlights of the program “Our Ao Dai”, ma’am? Designer Minh Hanh: In this program there will be a very special highlight, which is the performance of eight lady ambassadors from eight countries in Vietnam; The girls from Mozambique have dark skin and a special body. I want to prove that ao dai is not only for women with standard measurements but also for many sizes, skin types and even cultural differences … This year, we will be implementing a project to recreate 100 countries on Vietnamese ao dai and these designs will be donated to the Vietnam Women’s Museum for display. This is the first stage the ao dai campaign becomes heritage of the Central Vietnam Women’s Union with the desire to further promote the beauty of ao dai so that this costume becomes a symbol of women in the new era. It takes enough force to touch identity value – Madame, many people think that in order for a certain object to be recognized as heritage, it must be lived and practiced in a community. So is an activity like the upcoming Ao Dai show a stepping stone for us to prove to the world that ao dai is still “alive” in the Vietnamese community? At this point, a traditional shirt or matters of tradition is too difficult. Therefore, activities such as “Our Ao Dai” must push up the spirit of the times, how to traditional value effective in this day and age. 
Designer Minh Hanh introduced the history of Vietnamese ao dai to veteran artists of the Vietnamese film industry such as: People’s Artist Tra Giang, elite artist Thanh Tu … (Photo: Xuan Mai / Vietnam +) The effectiveness is not flattering or praising the traditional shirt, but it is the effectiveness in the Vietnamese spiritual life, the ao dai will become close and friendly. For example, ao dai can be combined with more dynamic, comfortable and special outfits in the young Vietnamese spiritual life. They need to understand the traditional values adopted in this era to receive with a new spirit, with new energy, thereby creating not only marks on ao dai but also a milestone in the calendar. the development history of Vietnamese ao dai, of traditional culture. – Yes ma’am, it can be said that ao dai is a fertile land for Vietnamese designers to exploit. How do you evaluate the role of Vietnamese stylists when they bring the image of ao dai abroad to introduce? Designer Minh Hanh: It is actually the responsible designers, which must be voluntary, but also quite challenging. Because when they touch a traditional ao dai, touch the value of identity, they have enough strength to express. If there is not enough power, as in reality there have been many cases of ao dai becoming disasters and we clearly do not want that to happen. Vietnamese designers can be proud and honored when ao dai becomes the inspiration to compose but at the same time they must have a great responsibility in creating the aesthetics of the era. That aesthetic is not a hybrid aesthetic or borrowed somewhere, but it is nurtured by a pure Vietnamese spirit but not outdated but very modern. – Thank you for your sharing./.
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