Designer Xuan Thu shares about the Ao Dai Collection celebrating the liberation of the South and national reunification

"I am very honored to be selected from the list of designers to create Ao Dai designs introducing the country and people of Vietnam on the occasion of the whole country joyfully celebrating the liberation of the South and national reunification", designer Xuan Thu was moved when recalling the time and circumstances of the birth of the Ao Dai Collection, which still retains its cultural and spiritual value.

Báo Quốc Tế•23/04/2025

Nhà thiết kế Xuân Thu chia sẻ về ý nghĩa của Bộ sưu tập áo dài chào mừng sự kiện Giải phóng miền Nam, thống nhất đất nước

Designer Xuan Thu is very busy with many fashion projects (from design to research and training). Knowing that she has a beautiful collection of ao dai and a very meaningful background, we did not hesitate to book an appointment and the designer immediately accepted.

With the excitement of children living in peacetime and witnessing the meaningful historical milestone of the country - 50 years of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, we quickly set off and were warmly welcomed by designer Xuan Thu. Her apartment in the Diplomatic Corps Area has many fashion collections designed and produced by her, each with its own meaning, all of which she cherishes like her "spiritual" children.

Responding to our wishes, Fashion Designer Xuan Thu emotionally recounted the birth of the Ao Dai collection "Tropical Fruits" whose birth circumstances as well as the meaning of this collection are always imprinted in her mind. Designer Xuan Thu recalled: "In 2005, when the whole country was joyfully celebrating the 30th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, I was honored to be selected into the list of designers to create collections to introduce the country, culture and people of Vietnam.

During 20 years of working in the design profession, Designer Xuan Thu has always created unique features for Ao Dai dresses. In modern fashion trends, people often follow trends, but Designer Xuan Thu chooses to design Ao Dai models with traditional features, preserving the beauty of Vietnamese Ao Dai.

(Source: Sports and Culture)

Each designer pursues different ideas, some choose the image of rice, others exploit the beauty of the Ao Ba Ba - rustic, folk and familiar symbols. As for me, I choose to depict the beauty of fruits and landscapes of Southern Vietnam, because our Vietnamese nature is truly rich and fertile."

Named “Tropical Fruits”, the collection consists of 24 designs, harmoniously combining 3D hand-embroidered carpet techniques and modern aesthetic thinking. On a linen background, the 3D embroidery panels are made using carpet embroidery techniques – a technique learned from Germany. Images of tropical fruits and regional fruits are vividly depicted, enhancing the artistic value of traditional Ao Dai. Each design is a work of art imbued with national identity and cultural depth.

With a unique design style – wide sleeves, short body – the “Tropical Fruit” collection represents the spirit of fusion between tradition and modernity. According to designer Xuan Thu, fashion is a continuation of history, but must also contain the aesthetic ideas and language of the new era.

20 years have passed, the ao dai in the collection "Tropical fruits", according to designer Xuan Thu, are still popular and sought after. It can be seen that, after such a long time, the collection still retains its appeal. "My ao dai is made with straight, wide sleeves, short body, linen material, combined with large embroidered panels in a quite modern style. While at that time, people were still familiar with the ao dai style developed from the four-panel, five-panel,... Fashion is the inheritance of history but must have the newness of the trend of the times and through the ideology of each designer to convey their aesthetic taste", designer Xuan Thu shared.

Not only the “Tropical Fruits” collection, but also the following collections of designer Xuan Thu such as “Mother’s Hands”, “Far Away Voice”… also carry deep cultural meaning and the spirit of honoring beauty. Through fashion, designer Xuan Thu is still tirelessly spreading unique, rich and sustainable cultural stories.

The story will continue but we want to save it for the next talks. As we bid her farewell, the group did not forget to wish her continued success on the path of creating many meaningful, unique and Vietnamese-imprinted fashion collections.