"Vietnamese Culture Exhibited Through 'Future Designers' Competition"
In the heart of Hanoi, the Future Designers contest, a fusion of fashion and education, recently took centre stage. This annual event, organised by Youth Vanguard and Children Newspaper in collaboration with designer and CEO Yen Ngo, attracted nearly 1,000 entries from students aged 6 to 15, including many from remote areas and children living in special circumstances.
Among the talented participants, Jeong Hyeyoung, a Vietnamese-Korean child model, made a captivating debut in her homeland. Traveling nearly 3,000 km from South Korea, Jeong Hyeyoung, also known as Hoang Yen, brought a unique perspective to the contest, having been trained and managed by Prankers Korean modeling agency and having participated in international fashion events.
Hyeyoung quickly adapted to the contest despite her short time in Vietnam before the show. Her confident demeanor and sharp eyes captivated the audience during the catwalk performance. For the event, she wore a design created by young designer Nguyen Tran Moc Thanh, inspired by Dong Ho folk paintings, a traditional Vietnamese art form.
Designer Yen Ngo was impressed by Hyeyoung's professionalism and charm during their collaboration. Journalist Bui Viet Cuong also considered Hyeyoung's participation as a wonderful spread of Vietnamese culture.
The Future Designers contest was not just a fashion competition but also a holistic educational journey for Vietnamese children. It acted as an artistic playground and carried a profound educational mission. The success of the contest reaffirms the vital role of the arts in cultivating love for the homeland and igniting creative potential in the younger generation.
At the final gala night, 24 of the top 50 excellent designs were showcased on a professional catwalk. All 24 outfits from the contest, including Hyeyoung's, were auctioned to support the "Wings for Dreams Library" project for disadvantaged children nationwide. The auction raised funds by selling these creative outfits, further emphasising the contest's commitment to giving back to the community.
The Future Designers contest in Vietnam is a platform for young designers to explore Vietnamese traditional aesthetics like the áo dài alongside modern fashion innovation. Participation in such contests often helps designers gain recognition, build networks, and influence cultural diplomacy through fashion. This year's event was a testament to that, with Jeong Hyeyoung's participation representing a cross-cultural engagement, showcasing how a designer from outside Vietnam could contribute fresh perspectives to Vietnamese fashion.
The Future Designers contest is part of Vietnam’s broader efforts to promote cultural identity through fashion, especially the áo dài, as seen in the recent inauguration of the Việt Nam Áo Dài Cultural Association focused on both preservation and modern creative development. This reflects the cultural ecosystem in which design contests like Future Designers may operate, encouraging creative connections between designers, producers, and cultural entities.
- The Future Designers contest, a fusion of fashion and education, not only served as a platform for young designers to explore Vietnamese traditional aesthetics like the áo dài alongside modern fashion innovation but also acted as an educational journey for children, providing them with an opportunity to engage with home-and-garden art forms like Dong Ho folk paintings.
- In addition to displaying her exquisite fashion-and-beauty sense on the catwalk, Jeong Hyeyoung, a Vietnamese-Korean child model, brought a unique perspective to the contest by embodying a holistic lifestyle, reflecting both her education-and-self-development experiences in South Korea and her love for her Vietnamese heritage.
