An impressive series of events during the Vietnam-France designer fashion season.

In the first half of 2023, Season 1, themed "cuisine," was incredibly successful, featuring many interesting and informative events such as panel discussions on the intersections and influences between French and Vietnamese cuisine, wine, the history of bread, diplomatic cuisine, coffee, and cocoa… Through these activities, the audience had the opportunity to learn more about the essence of French cuisine, meet famous personalities and experts to discuss and share their common passion for the cuisine of both countries.

For its second season, the French Institute in Ho Chi Minh City will continue to celebrate the French art of living with its profound influence on Vietnamese culture, through the theme "Fashion and Design".

Fashion & Design Season

From June to December, the French Institute in Ho Chi Minh City will organize a series of "Fashion and Design" events with prestigious French partners: major French fashion and perfume houses, the French Fashion Institute, the French Federation of Fashion and Haute Couture… All the big names in the French fashion industry, in training as well as the creative industry, will be present in Vietnam.

Throughout the Fashion & Design Season, there will be a series of panel discussions on haute couture, sustainable fashion, eco-friendly design, perfumes, and more. This is an opportunity for the public to meet leading figures in each field.

Beginning with the "Vietnam Fashion" seminar in September, themed "The French Influence on Vietnamese Fashion," the public had the opportunity to learn about the history and development of Vietnamese fashion, as well as the influence of France on this field, from the modernization of traditional women's clothing (Ao Dai) to the great designers of today.

Following up in November with the "Sustainable Fashion" and "Green Fashion" panel discussion, which addressed global sustainable fashion issues, the importance of naturally sourced materials, eco-design, the role of French companies in promoting this field, and positive consumer trends that need to be popularized in Vietnam.

Concluding the series of seminars in December with the theme "Fragrance & the Inventor," the event included discussions on the history and influence of French perfumes worldwide, questions about the industry and training related to perfumery, and finally, the development of perfumery in the Vietnamese market.

Accompanying the series of seminars is the French Fashion Film Festival, taking place from November 16-19. A wide variety of films on fashion and perfume themes will be screened at IDECAF with Vietnamese subtitles. Some titles to be shown include “Les Trésors de la Parfumerie française”, “Cartier, la petite boîte rouge”, “Isabel Marant, naissance d'une collection”, “Jean-Paul Gaultier, défilé”, “Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo?, by William Klein”, “Haute Couture, by Sylvie Ohayon”...

From June to October, the "Fashion in Paris" competition is held for young talents in Vietnam's fashion design industry. The judging panel, comprised of prominent figures in both French and Vietnamese fashion, selects the eight best finalists. The final round will be a fashion show at the French Residence, where each contestant will present their ideas to the judges.

The top 3 finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their collections to the public at the "Fashion Night" event on the evening of October 21st at the Sofitel Hotel. The prize for the winning contestant will be a high-fashion training trip to Paris in 2024, with all expenses fully sponsored.

Throughout the evening, there will be fashion shows interspersed with expert presentations on various fashion topics: the French haute couture industry, the development of the Vietnamese market for French luxury goods, fashion education in France, digital transformation in the fashion industry in France and Vietnam, and more.

Bi Le