Models perform in ao dai at the 21st Charming Vietnam Gala on New Year’s Eve. The ao dai
has always been the first choice of the nation’s female representatives at globalbeauty contests.

The ao dai is more than a national dress.

It is an icon that people immediately identify with Vietnam and a dress that has emerged from thousands of years of culture and tradition.

Its flowing grace has never failed to enchant but our beauty contestants struggled to make a mark in global contests with their national costumes.

The ao dai has always been the first choice of the nation’s female representatives at global beauty contests.

However, until now the dress has been acknowledged only once as the Best Traditional Costume. This was designed by Thuan Viet for model Dao Mai Uyen Thao at the World Supermodel 2008 in Australia.

Before and after Thao, many local beauties have been blamed for wearing an “inappropriately designed ao dai.”

Supermodel Hoang Yen, who was expected to do very well at the Miss Universe 2009 contest in the Bahamas, was eclipsed in the Best National Costume performance with her black ao dai sporting huge dragons.

Some said that black color and the dragons, which made her look heavy, are the symbol of kings, and not suitable for an ao dai.

Mai Phuong Thuy was made to look older, it is said, when her black ao dai was embroidered with a peacock designed by Viet Hung at the Miss World 2006.

Director Thuy Hang of Elite Vietnam Entertainment Group, which has the rights to select and send Vietnam’s representatives to international beauty pageants, said, “Though black symbolizes luxury and power, it cannot help the model to stand out from others, especially on the stage.”

Designer Thuan Viet said that though the ao dai is really unique, elevating local beauty and traditional culture, “it’s too simple and unimposing,” compared to other countries’ eye-catching traditional dresses, for instance from South American or Caribbean nations.

“Striking colors like red and yellow, and sophisticated patterns decorated with precious stones really help to draw the audience’s attention,” he said.

“Thao’s ao dai was the product of such a combination,” the designer said.

Former French model Henri Hubert, who now works in Vietnam as an art director and stylist, said, “I think the ao dai is a very nice traditional dress. However, maybe we should be more creative in presenting it every time.

“Just look at the way Jean Paul Gautier has recreated the ao dai, it’s very interesting. For sure, we can make a few twists to make the dress more exciting and new each time.”

Thuan Viet is a pioneer in stylizing the ao dai. His variation of the costume, with the ao yem (Vietnamese-style brassiere), for Huong Giang at the Miss World pageant 2009 drew high appreciation

Huong Giang, who finished in the last 16 at the contest, said that her dress, named Au Co, was inspired by the legendary mother of Vietnamese civilization.

“We want to present the ao dai to the world in a new way, in which we hope we are able to reduce its ‘shortcomings’ [reduce its familiarity and make it more striking to the eye].”

Giang said that at first, she wanted to wear the traditional dress of the H’mong, one of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, but she was afraid that it would be mistaken with that of the H’mong people in China.

Previously, Giang’s colleague Chung Thuc Quyen had made a breakthrough, winning the Best National Dress prize at last year’s Miss Supranational pageant in Poland with a “non-ao dai” also designed by Thuan Viet.

Too familiar

Quyen wore the ao tu than (a four-part dress, a traditional costume from northern Vietnam) and non quai thao (flat palm hat with fringes) at the event.

“Frankly speaking, the ao dai is very beautiful, but it has become very familiar to the world, so, no matter how it is changed, it’s still an ao dai,” Quyen said.

“For me, it is a risk if we continuously choose the ao dai for best national costume contests, because after many international competitions, the ao dai has not yet received proper attention. There is a need to change.”

Quyen said that the country has at least 54 traditional costumes, not just the ao dai, “so, why should we promote just the ao dai or ao tu than, when there are a few international contests every year?”

Thuy Hang agreed with the idea of promoting traditional costumes of other 54 ethnic groups as a way to introduce the country’s diverse culture.

“However, the ao dai is acknowledged unofficially as Vietnam’s national dress. In international contests, for sure, Vietnam’s representatives are recognized by their ao dai,” the former model said.

“If I were Vietnam’s representative at global beauty competitions, I would wear all 54 traditional costumes, but for sure ao dai would be my first and last choice for the final.”

According to local designer and vice director of Vietnam’s Fashion Design Institute, Minh Hanh, Quyen’s victory is a shot in the arm for the local fashion industry, but “it is just a change of taste.”

“The ao dai is the single costume that can be appraised as a national symbol compared with other kinds of outfits,” she said.

Hanh, considered as a leader in setting local fashion trends, said, “Ao dai will never be a satiated feast.”

She said that in order to repeat the victory for the ao dai like Quyen and Thao, both designers and representatives must access the ao dai at its true worth.

One thing that she, stylist Long Kan and Henri were agreed on was the need to have a professional fashion board to design and select traditional costumes for the country’s representatives.

Reported by Phuong Anh - Kim