Beneath the Layers of Thái Nguyễn’s “IDENTITY”,
the Áo Dài Remains
the Áo Dài Remains
More than 30 looks. Different colours, proportions, textures and personalities. Yet beneath every one of them, Thái Nguyễn had placed the same foundation: a traditional white Áo Dài.
That detail remained largely hidden as IDENTITY, the Vietnamese-American designer’s latest Áo Dài collection, received its first complete runway presentation in London at Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026.
It would only become fully visible at the end of the show.
That detail remained largely hidden as IDENTITY, the Vietnamese-American designer’s latest Áo Dài collection, received its first complete runway presentation in London at Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026.
It would only become fully visible at the end of the show.
1. Designer Thai Nguyen on the red carpet at Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026.
What Lies Beneath
Much of the experimentation in IDENTITY happens on the outside.
Tailored jackets, vest-inspired structures, oversized fringed forms, extended pleats and shifting proportions transform the familiar silhouette from one look to the next. The Áo Dài appears on both male and female models, moving between restraint and theatricality without settling into a single visual language.
Much of the experimentation in IDENTITY happens on the outside.
Tailored jackets, vest-inspired structures, oversized fringed forms, extended pleats and shifting proportions transform the familiar silhouette from one look to the next. The Áo Dài appears on both male and female models, moving between restraint and theatricality without settling into a single visual language.
In one of the women’s red looks, layers of fabric cover the white Áo Dài beneath. As the model releases the sheer fabric attached to her headpiece, it opens dramatically behind her, turning the garment into one of the collection’s most striking moments in motion.
But the central idea of IDENTITY is revealed only in the finale.
The models remove their outer layers and return wearing the traditional white Áo Dài that had been there from the beginning.
After a collection filled with colour, volume and visual contrasts, its final image is also its simplest.
After a collection filled with colour, volume and visual contrasts, its final image is also its simplest.
For Nguyễn, that is the point. Identity is not necessarily what is immediately visible. A person may move through different cultures, professions, experiences and forms of self-expression, while carrying something more constant underneath.
In IDENTITY, that constant is Vietnamese.
In IDENTITY, that constant is Vietnamese.
Between Vietnam and America
Born and raised in Vietnam before moving to the United States at 13, Nguyễn has spent much of his fashion career working within a very different cultural environment.
His relationship with the Áo Dài, however, began much earlier. His parents ran a private sewing school, and a book written by his father later became another source through which he studied the garment while attending fashion school in America.
His relationship with the Áo Dài, however, began much earlier. His parents ran a private sewing school, and a book written by his father later became another source through which he studied the garment while attending fashion school in America.
As Nguyễn has previously described it, American fashion school gave him one foundation; his father’s book gave him another.
That duality is visible throughout IDENTITY. Western tailoring and suit construction sit alongside recognisable elements of the Áo Dài, while the collection allows the outer silhouette to change dramatically without abandoning the garment underneath.
That duality is visible throughout IDENTITY. Western tailoring and suit construction sit alongside recognisable elements of the Áo Dài, while the collection allows the outer silhouette to change dramatically without abandoning the garment underneath.
Rather than presenting Vietnamese identity as a single image, Nguyễn approaches it as something that can accommodate different lives and experiences. The collection moves through those differences before bringing every model back to the same white silhouette at the end.
Experiment, but Know the Craft
After more than two decades working with the Áo Dài, Nguyễn does not believe the garment should remain untouched.
Collars, sleeves, proportions and construction can all be explored. IDENTITY itself demonstrates how far he is willing to push those elements, incorporating Western tailoring, new structures and unexpected layering.
What concerns him more is the possible loss of the knowledge and craftsmanship behind the garment.
Collars, sleeves, proportions and construction can all be explored. IDENTITY itself demonstrates how far he is willing to push those elements, incorporating Western tailoring, new structures and unexpected layering.
What concerns him more is the possible loss of the knowledge and craftsmanship behind the garment.
For Nguyễn, innovation and preservation do not have to cancel each other out. He encourages younger designers to experiment and “dream as big as possible”, while also urging them to study seriously, learn the craft, do the work and avoid shortcuts.
“For me, making Áo Dài is slow fashion. It is precious, valuable and it takes time.”
It is a revealing position from a designer whose career has largely unfolded in American fashion. Nguyễn is willing to change what the eye sees first — proportion, layering, styling and structure — while remaining far more protective of the knowledge and principles underneath.
“For me, making Áo Dài is slow fashion. It is precious, valuable and it takes time.”
It is a revealing position from a designer whose career has largely unfolded in American fashion. Nguyễn is willing to change what the eye sees first — proportion, layering, styling and structure — while remaining far more protective of the knowledge and principles underneath.
Perhaps that is why the finale of IDENTITY matters more than a conventional closing look.
The layers disappear. The spectacle recedes. What remains is the garment Nguyễn has continued to return to throughout his career. “Áo Dài is my life.” said Thái Nguyễn.
The layers disappear. The spectacle recedes. What remains is the garment Nguyễn has continued to return to throughout his career. “Áo Dài is my life.” said Thái Nguyễn.