The Quest

Kudos to you if you recognize the dresses above.

Yes, bearing strong resemblance to the Vietnamese traditional costume, they are from John Galliano (at the top) and Prada (at the bottom). In fact, when I first started my quest, I was pleasantly surprised at the many European and American designers who have adapted and transformed the simple áo dài into artistic pieces showcased in the runway shows in Paris and New York. Movies like Indochine and the Lover have apparently generated much Western interest in the Vietnamese áo dài. It seems that the áo dài has become current and hip, embraced by the fashion world and no longer the preserve of the traditional and conservative.

However, while going through these modern áo dài-inspired designs, I felt disconcerted. Strangely, many of these strike me as incongruent with what had inspired me at first. I became worried, afraid that a non-Vietnamese like me may misinterpret or misrepresent what an áo dài truly is, especially since it is such an integral part of the Vietnamese culture and identity. Or that an áo dài is a Chinese cheongsam.

Sĩ Hoàng, a famous Vietnamese designer, once said, “I think the áo dài we have had up till now, its design has already reached perfection. If I change the way of tailoring and designing it, then it wouldn’t be an áo dài anymore, but something like the cheongsam of China or a dress worn by westerners.” More importantly, the áo dài form is what makes it quintessentially Vietnamese.

References:

“Influence of the Ao Dai”, Viettouch, http://www.viettouch.com/aodai/aodai-influence.htm (last accessed 5th April 2010)

“Asian Look”, Fashion Moment, http://fashionmoment.blogspot.com/2009/02/asian-look.html (last accessed 4th April 2010)