From Vietnam to London: A New Fashion Conversation Around the Áo Dài
Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026 seeks to give London audiences a fresh perspective on Áo Dài and its place in contemporary fashion
Ahead of Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026, Organising Committee Chair, Ms Hoàng Hà, speaks about what she hopes to achieve in London, how she sees the balance between tradition and creativity, and why a question from the audience can sometimes mean more than a compliment.
Áo Dài has appeared at events around the world. Why did you still feel it needed a Fashion Week of its own?
Ms Hoàng Hà: Áo Dài has travelled far beyond Vietnam for many years, so our aim is not simply to take it to another city.
Overseas, Áo Dài is often seen at cultural festivals, community gatherings and events introducing Vietnam to international audiences. These occasions are important. But this time, we wanted to place Áo Dài in a different setting: one centred on fashion, where the conversation can also be about designers, collections, materials, craftsmanship and the creative thinking behind the clothes.
Changing the setting also means meeting a different audience. I would love to see people come simply because they are interested in fashion, discover Áo Dài there, and then become curious about Vietnam.
Why London? And what has been the greatest challenge in bringing Áo Dài into an international fashion environment?
Ms Hoàng Hà: London is extraordinarily multicultural and open to new ideas. Very different cultures and perspectives coexist here. That makes it an exciting place for Áo Dài to venture into something genuinely different.
But the greatest challenge is not transporting the garments from Vietnam to the UK.
“The greatest challenge is not bringing Áo Dài to London. It is finding a way for Áo Dài to belong to London for a moment, while remaining Vietnamese forever.”
We want someone who knows very little about Vietnam to be able to look at Áo Dài as fashion and appreciate its beauty and creativity. At the same time, we want them to sense that behind the garment lies a much longer cultural story.
ADFW will present Áo Dài in many forms, from traditional silhouettes to more experimental designs. Where do you draw the line between preservation and creativity?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I do not think preservation means refusing to change. Áo Dài itself has evolved through different periods. Every generation has its own aesthetics and ways of expressing itself, so it is natural that the garment continues to evolve.
But when we create something that carries cultural meaning, understanding matters. A designer may change the silhouette, material or treatment, but should know what they want to preserve and why they are changing something.
For me, tradition and creativity are not opposites.
“Tradition gives us roots. Creativity gives us wings.”
I hope Áo Dài can retain what makes it distinctive while allowing each generation to find its own way to love it, wear it and take it forward.
ADFW brings together models, collaborators and guests from many countries. What does it mean to you to see someone with no Vietnamese heritage wearing Áo Dài?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I find it beautiful.
I do not expect an international model wearing Áo Dài to try to become an image of “Vietnam”. I want them to remain themselves while having the opportunity to experience part of Vietnamese culture through what they are wearing.
Perhaps at first they simply find the garment beautiful. Then they begin asking about the fabric, the motifs, how it is worn or what certain details mean. Cultural encounters can begin as naturally as that.
To me, heritage remains alive when it is not only valued by people who already understand it, but can also make someone unfamiliar with it want to come closer and learn more.
What reaction from an international audience would make you happiest after the event?
Ms Hoàng Hà: If someone says “beautiful”, of course I will be happy. But I would be even happier if the next thing they ask is:
“What is the story behind this?”
Why does Áo Dài have this silhouette? What does this motif mean? Where does the fabric come from? When do Vietnamese people wear it?
Once people begin asking questions, I feel they have already entered the story.
I do not expect a single event to make someone understand Vietnam in a few hours. But if the beauty of Áo Dài makes them stop and look, and curiosity makes them want to know more about Vietnam, that is already something valuable.
Ultimately, when Áo Dài comes to London, what do you want the world to see about Vietnam?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I want them to see a Vietnam with deep cultural roots, but one that is not standing still in the past.
We have craft villages, traditional techniques, materials and knowledge passed down through generations. Today, artisans, designers and young people are still working with them, creating something new from what they have inherited.
For young Vietnamese people growing up abroad, I hope Áo Dài can bring them closer to their roots and give them another reason to feel proud of their culture.
And for those who know little about Vietnam, I do not need them to understand everything after one encounter.
“If they leave the event with one question about Vietnam that had never occurred to them before, I think we have succeeded.”
Áo Dài has appeared at events around the world. Why did you still feel it needed a Fashion Week of its own?
Ms Hoàng Hà: Áo Dài has travelled far beyond Vietnam for many years, so our aim is not simply to take it to another city.
Overseas, Áo Dài is often seen at cultural festivals, community gatherings and events introducing Vietnam to international audiences. These occasions are important. But this time, we wanted to place Áo Dài in a different setting: one centred on fashion, where the conversation can also be about designers, collections, materials, craftsmanship and the creative thinking behind the clothes.
Changing the setting also means meeting a different audience. I would love to see people come simply because they are interested in fashion, discover Áo Dài there, and then become curious about Vietnam.
Why London? And what has been the greatest challenge in bringing Áo Dài into an international fashion environment?
Ms Hoàng Hà: London is extraordinarily multicultural and open to new ideas. Very different cultures and perspectives coexist here. That makes it an exciting place for Áo Dài to venture into something genuinely different.
But the greatest challenge is not transporting the garments from Vietnam to the UK.
“The greatest challenge is not bringing Áo Dài to London. It is finding a way for Áo Dài to belong to London for a moment, while remaining Vietnamese forever.”
We want someone who knows very little about Vietnam to be able to look at Áo Dài as fashion and appreciate its beauty and creativity. At the same time, we want them to sense that behind the garment lies a much longer cultural story.
ADFW will present Áo Dài in many forms, from traditional silhouettes to more experimental designs. Where do you draw the line between preservation and creativity?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I do not think preservation means refusing to change. Áo Dài itself has evolved through different periods. Every generation has its own aesthetics and ways of expressing itself, so it is natural that the garment continues to evolve.
But when we create something that carries cultural meaning, understanding matters. A designer may change the silhouette, material or treatment, but should know what they want to preserve and why they are changing something.
For me, tradition and creativity are not opposites.
“Tradition gives us roots. Creativity gives us wings.”
I hope Áo Dài can retain what makes it distinctive while allowing each generation to find its own way to love it, wear it and take it forward.
ADFW brings together models, collaborators and guests from many countries. What does it mean to you to see someone with no Vietnamese heritage wearing Áo Dài?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I find it beautiful.
I do not expect an international model wearing Áo Dài to try to become an image of “Vietnam”. I want them to remain themselves while having the opportunity to experience part of Vietnamese culture through what they are wearing.
Perhaps at first they simply find the garment beautiful. Then they begin asking about the fabric, the motifs, how it is worn or what certain details mean. Cultural encounters can begin as naturally as that.
To me, heritage remains alive when it is not only valued by people who already understand it, but can also make someone unfamiliar with it want to come closer and learn more.
What reaction from an international audience would make you happiest after the event?
Ms Hoàng Hà: If someone says “beautiful”, of course I will be happy. But I would be even happier if the next thing they ask is:
“What is the story behind this?”
Why does Áo Dài have this silhouette? What does this motif mean? Where does the fabric come from? When do Vietnamese people wear it?
Once people begin asking questions, I feel they have already entered the story.
I do not expect a single event to make someone understand Vietnam in a few hours. But if the beauty of Áo Dài makes them stop and look, and curiosity makes them want to know more about Vietnam, that is already something valuable.
Ultimately, when Áo Dài comes to London, what do you want the world to see about Vietnam?
Ms Hoàng Hà: I want them to see a Vietnam with deep cultural roots, but one that is not standing still in the past.
We have craft villages, traditional techniques, materials and knowledge passed down through generations. Today, artisans, designers and young people are still working with them, creating something new from what they have inherited.
For young Vietnamese people growing up abroad, I hope Áo Dài can bring them closer to their roots and give them another reason to feel proud of their culture.
And for those who know little about Vietnam, I do not need them to understand everything after one encounter.
“If they leave the event with one question about Vietnam that had never occurred to them before, I think we have succeeded.”
Prosperous Planet No. 2 by Meritorious Artisan Lan Hương, created and completed over hundreds of hours of work alongside skilled artisans.
At Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026, audiences will discover Lê Thanh Danh’s Bamboo & Symbiosis, a collection inspired by the rhythms of rural life in Vietnam.
Ms. Hoàng Hà (left), Head of the Organising Committee of Áo Dài Fashion Week London 2026, at the pre-event press conference.
The event brings together nearly 200 international volunteers, including a make-up team of London-based professionals.