Ao Dai [p.4]

Dr. Nam-Son Ngo-Viet’s collection is another example of the historical importance of ao dais. It includes dresses that he inherited from his parents, the legendary architect Ngo Viet Thu and his wife, Vo Thi Co The dresses have been in his family for generations, revealing the personal value of textiles. With its rich textures and fine tailoring, this collection represents the kinds of ao dais worn by the elite class in Sai Gon before 1975. Viet Nam’s tailors soon took notice of the innovations of their Viet Kieu counterparts. They began to service the demands of Viet Kieu who returned to their home country seeking fitted and modernized ao dai dresses. Fashion scholar Ann Marie Leshkowich observed that the demand and purchasing power from the Viet Kieu had a major influence on ao dai production and design in commercial areas like Ben Thanh Market in downtown Sai Gon.

In the late 1990s, Viet Nam also benefited from a burgeoning textile industry. This, married with the country’s desire to promote its national identity, spurred the Vietnamese government to support the development of ao dai designs. An example is the company Fadin run by well-known designer Dang Thi Minh Hanh. This group actively recruited students from art schools to join the fashion design world. Innovations in design blossomed with support from fashion magazines like MOT Viet Nam that regularly featured new ao dai designs and design contests. New designers were finally getting the support they needed to prosper from inside and outside the industry.

Minh Hanh led the way with her rendition of the ao dai using tho cam, intricate brocade fabrics woven by ethnic minorities. Also influenced by Chinese robes, she brazenly designed loose cuts at a time when only tight fits were acceptable. Her interest in China extended to classic motifs such as the phoenix and crane that she liberally embroidered on her garments. Her other daring designs included streetwear that matched coarse materials with jeans and tailored Western pants. Her 2006 collection includes the use of original antique embroidered fabrics from China. The collection features one-of-a-kind runway pieces that range from wide to thin sleeves and two-panel and cross-over robes.

Minh Hanh’s contemporary, Le Si Hoang, is regarded as the premier contemporary ao dai designer. As the master of using paint rather than embroidery, he uses the ao dai as a canvas for personal expression. Unlike Minh Hanh who prefers to play with ao dai cuts, Si Hoang insists the design has reached perfection. Si Hoang garners inspiration from his vast study of European art, Indian and Middle Eastern history, and motifs from Viet Nam’s 54 ethnic groups. His embellished ao dais reflect his rich knowledge of the world and Viet Nam.

Si Hoang’s shop in downtown Sai Gon is a frequent stop for local and international admirers. As a historian, he has meticulously gathered ao dais from various regions and time periods to showcase at nightly shows in his teashop located above his clothing store.

As much as he looks to the past, Si Hoang also has a vision for the future. In 2005, motivated by his concern that the younger generation would have no link to the ao dai, he launched his children’s collection. Each ao dai in the collection is a unique piece of art created by a child; the motifs designed by the children were then painted on the dress by a professional. The loose-fitting, easy-to-care-for fabrics are made for a child’s active lifestyle, allowing them to wear their creations with comfort and pride.

“I pay all my young designers a salary, and trust me, they make good money,” says Si Hoang. “It promotes the idea that as young people, they can create and profit from those creations. This is to cultivate a new generation of designers.”