8th grade male student with 'Stork' costume at Miss Grand Vietnam 2023

With a passion for fashion and a desire to challenge himself, Chau Gia Minh, an 8th grade student at My Thuan Secondary School (Kien Giang province), created an outfit called "Stork" to participate in the National Costume competition of Miss Grand Vietnam 2023. Minh said that in 2022, he was invited by the organizers to record with 2 designs for the online competition called "Dirty". and “Mid-Autumn Festival” but because of lack of preparation, he refused to participate. Learning from experience for this year’s competition, Minh came up with ideas, learned how to make costumes, and searched for materials a year before.

Contestant Vo Pha Le performs in Gia Minh's "Stork" costume

Because he had never attended school, Minh only knew basic skills such as embroidery, embellishment, simple sewing, etc., so he asked his family for help in making the ao dai. The remaining details were made by the male student from foam and a steel frame for the wings, and the body of the ao dai was decorated with stones, beads, etc. Because he was from the countryside, Minh had to order the materials online, but some of the materials could not be used when delivered. The outfit took 2 months to make and during the process, Minh received online guidance from designer Van Thanh Cong.

Chau Gia Minh at the National Costume show of Miss Grand Vietnam 2023

“When I brought the costume to Ho Chi Minh City to compete, I encountered many difficulties because it was very bulky. So I had to separate each part, break the wing frame in half to be able to pack it and send it under the bus. When I arrived, the costume had some damaged details, the wings were broken, so I was a bit confused, however, my family members helped me to weld it back together,” said Gia Minh.

Minh's mother, aunt and sister followed him to Ho Chi Minh City to cheer him up. For Minh, this was a great opportunity to lay the first "bricks" on his journey to becoming a future fashion designer.

Drawing of the "Stork" costume

During the National Costume show of Miss Grand Vietnam 2023, Gia Minh's design was worn by contestant Vo Pha Le. With the main color being white, meticulously embellished with majestic wings, " Cò ơi" The male student's performance created a good stage effect. Gia Minh said the production cost was only 5 million VND, supported by the organizing committee.

Through the costume, Gia Minh wants to convey the message: “The stork is an animal associated with the countryside, representing the image of a hard-working worker who, despite all the hardships, does not forget to live an honest and noble life. I hope everyone can create their own dreams, persevere to overcome difficulties, and fly far to a beautiful horizon.”

Gia Minh's two designs for the 2022 competition

Because his family is a farmer, fashion is a rather unfamiliar field for this male student's relatives. However, when Gia Minh announced that he would be going to Ho Chi Minh City to participate in the National Costume competition of Miss Grand Vietnam 2023, his parents and relatives still supported and created conditions.

Close-up of Gia Minh's "Stork" costume

Ms. Tran Thi Hien (43 years old, Minh's mother), said: "No one in the family has any knowledge about the fashion industry, so when I heard my child share that he was chosen to make a costume for the Miss Grand Vietnam 2023 contest, I was very surprised. I have been a farmer since I was young, and have not had much contact with the outside world, so I just try to create conditions for my child to compete. I am very proud of Minh, this trip has seen him grow up and learn a lot from his brothers and sisters."

In addition to his passion for fashion, Gia Minh is also a member of the literature team. In the future, Minh hopes to study fashion to become a famous designer.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-sinh-lop-8-voi-trang-phuc-co-oi-tai-miss-grand-vietnam-2023-185230822001355209.htm