HCM City hosts Áo Dài Festival

HCM CITY — Twenty-one new collections of áo dài (traditional long dress) created by well-known fashion designers were showcased at the opening ceremony of the ninth HCM City Áo Dài Festival on March 3. The collections highlighted the origin, heritage, aspirations, and global integration of the Vietnamese traditional long dress. Dương Anh Đức, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said the beauty of the áo dài provided endless inspiration for designers and artists to make the festival an attractive and popular annual event. A workshop on preserving and developing the costume and a roundtable on its beauty were held at the Youth Cultural House on March 4. The event is organised by the city's tourism authority and the Vietnamese women’s union chapter.