The collection, Numéro 6: Vũ khúc Cố đô, was presented at the Maison de l’Amérique Latine on the evening of September 30, Paris time, as part of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027.

Tuan, who comes from a Nguyen Dynasty royal lineage and studied architecture in Hue, draws on memories of the Imperial City, the Perfume River, reeds and the prolonged rains of Hue in the collection, layering these images across the designs.

Bao Loc silk forms the foundation of the collection, combined with handcrafted embellishment techniques. The 31 designs are divided into three chapters — Khởi Vũ, Chính Vũ and Quang Vũ — corresponding to the moments before, during and after a rainstorm. Hue’s rain provides the collection’s central thread, moving from the stillness before the rain to the intensity of the downpour and the return of light afterwards.

The Khởi Vũ (Before the Rain) chapter opens with a modern Áo dài (traditional long dress) in white, featuring a high collar, long sleeves and a bodice adorned with beads and raised floral appliqués around the neckline. Subsequent designs use curved lines and flowing silhouettes in white, beige, yellow and blue, evoking the sky over Hue before the rain.

Images of clouds, reeds, dragonflies and kites appear through feathers, organza and handcrafted details. Crystals are sparsely placed around the upper sections of the designs, resembling the first drops of rain before the downpour begins.

In Chính Vũ (During the Rain), the palette shifts to black, deep purple, moss green and silver. The silhouettes become sharper, with denser strands of crystals cascading down the body to evoke rain pouring from the sky.

One design in this chapter draws on the designer’s childhood memory of wearing a black raincoat while sitting behind his mother on a bicycle during rainy days in Hue. Its voluminous skirt is shaped like a raincoat billowing in the wind, while beaded details suggest splashing drops of water.

The final chapter, Quang Vũ (After the Rain) introduces a lighter palette of yellow, soft pink, misty blue, pastel purple and ivory. After the heavier, sharper structures of the middle chapter, the designs return to pleating, diagonal cuts and softer silhouettes, conveying a sense of lightness after the rain.

Daffodils also feature across several designs, alongside oil painting on silk, 3D structural shaping and hand-embellishment.

One of the collection’s standout designs, Merci Paris, transforms the traditional yếm, a Vietnamese halter-style garment, into a gold-sequinned evening gown. The skirt features representations of four landmarks — the Eiffel Tower, the Château de Versailles, Truong Tien Bridge and Linh Mu Pagoda — rendered in crystals and sequins.

The intricate embellishment took about two months to complete. The juxtaposition of symbols from Hue and Paris reflects the designer’s intention to connect the two cultural settings within a single design.

The show concludes with a wedding gown made from Bao Loc silk taffeta, returning to the white tones of the opening design. Following the presentation, all 31 designs will remain on display in Paris on October 2 and 3.

Designer Nguyen Phuc Tuan brings memories of Hue rain to Paris

VOV.VN - Designer Nguyen Phuc Tuan will open his debut show in Paris with Vietnamese Ao dai (traditional long dress), drawing on memories of Hue rain to connect Vietnamese culture with contemporary fashion.