City residents had a chance to see fashion collections by newly graduated fashion students from the Raffles International College - HCM City, late February. Their clothes were showcased on the catwalk at the Park Hyatt Saigon, District 1.

17 collections were presented, of which 12 brought various new styles that surprised and delighted viewers.

Many of those attending the show commented that they felt like they had enjoyed an international fashion show with higher quality standards, both in collections and the organization of the show. This is an improvement on past catwalk events.

The collections were contemporary and casual. With the forms, accessories, patterns, all designed helping the show to be glamorous and elegant.

Most viewers believed that the collections present positive signals for the local fashion industry.

The local industry has taken on various young talented designers who are more active, creative, international and contemporary. As a result, local consumers have been buying more Vietnamese designed clothing.

Many of the clothes were also liked by foreign companies, with a number being exported overseas.

Getting through the doors of fashion houses is a difficult business. For a two year course at Raffles International College – HCMC, fees are US$17,200, about US$8,600 per year. It is higher than many fashion colleges in Asia and even others elsewhere.

With the fees being so high “this career is mostly is for rich students,” said one viewer.

When asked about the fees and career plans, a second year student, Dinh Thi Hanh Thu, replied, “Yes, I think the tuition fee is high but after the whole course I understand that what I received is much more than what I paid into it.

“I was inspired and delved truly deep into various subjects related to the course, like the history of the fashion industry, evaluating clothing materials, mixing colors, and sewing.

“After graduation, I will leave for Singapore to learn and work one year to get more experiences before coming back to Vietnam.”

Those attending understood that quality is the most important aspect of fashion and most of them agreed that the quality of local fashion is improving day by day.

There are more students with serious thoughts about entering this field, they are more passionate and want to bring more collections to local and international markets.

VietNamNet/SGGP