Bringing Ao Dai onto the global fashion map

THE HANOI TIMES — A cultural promotion program themed “A Runway of Heritage, A Future of Style” will bring the Ao dai - Vietnamese traditional costume, onto the global fashion map within the framework of London Fashion Week.

Scheduled to take place in London, the UK, from September 19 to 21, 2026, within the city’s Fashion Week, the event will mark the first time Vietnam’s traditional ao dai is presented through collections by Vietnamese designers on a fully fledged international fashion runway.

Embracing Ao dai as a living heritage

According to project founder Hoang Thi Hai Ha, the project also seeks to build an ecosystem linking culture, community, commerce and creativity between Vietnam and the world.

"A key focus of the program lies in professional documentation, including runway shows, backstage coverage, interviews and fashion documentaries, to preserve and showcase the contemporary creative spirit of the Ao dai as a living heritage," said Ha.

The event is also seen as a large-scale cultural diplomacy initiative, bringing together designers, artisans, artists, media professionals, the Vietnamese community in Europe and international partners.

It has been designed as an integrated series of activities in which culture, creativity, community and commerce are closely interconnected in a continuous experiential cycle.

At the core of the event will be Ao dai fashion shows featuring collections by leading Vietnamese designers on an international runway.

Alongside this, Ao dai parades will be held at some of London’s most iconic and historically significant landmarks, highlighting the garment as a living heritage and reinforcing its place in the global fashion landscape.

Going beyond a conventional cultural promotion, Dang Bich Lien, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Ao Dai Cultural Association, described the project as a strategic step in positioning Vietnamese heritage as part of contemporary global culture.

“When heritage is placed within an international creative space, its value can be recognised in a fuller and more deserving way,” Lien said.

From the runway to a Vietnamese cultural ecosystem

In addition to the fashion shows, the event will feature exhibitions highlighting Vietnam’s traditional craftsmanship, including brocade, silk, ceramics, folk paintings, handcrafted jewellery, conical hats, sedge-grass bags and environmentally friendly products.

Live demonstrations of traditional techniques will allow visitors to gain deeper insight into Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

Beside, a Vietnamese cuisine and specialty food exhibition will feature well-known dishes such as pho, fresh and fried spring rolls, and banh mi, alongside premium food products including dried goods, confectionery, dried fruits and traditional snacks.

Organisers said the program aims to create an immersive Vietnamese cultural experience in central London while opening opportunities for trade and business partnerships.

Pham Thi Kim Hoa, vice chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOV), said connecting communities and promoting national identity through cultural initiatives abroad is a key priority of the committee, and praised the collaboration among community organisations, designers and media teams in bringing the Ao dai to the global stage.

Highlighting London’s role as an ideal venue to launch the initiative, Nguyen Viet Trieu, Chairwoman of the Union of Vietnamese Women’s Associations in Europe, said London is a unique hub for overseas Vietnamese, where young generations educated in Vietnam and trained at leading global universities converge.

The intersection of Vietnamese roots and global thinking, she said, creates a community well positioned to act as cultural bridges and future partners in international cooperation.

“Bringing the Ao dai onto the international runway is how we tell Vietnam’s story through the language of art and culture,” Trieu said.