Although Vietnam International Fashion Week (VIFW) passed almost 4 months ago, I don't think the heat of the biggest fashion week in the country has gone down ever since. Not even a little bit. It was my second time attending #VIFW. The first time was in October last year.

I still remember very clearly how excited and nervous I was to think of attending the very first fashion week in my motherland. It was more nerve-wracking than New York Fashion Week. I didn't know if I could blend in well with the fashion industry in Vietnam as I've been away from home for too long. I knew no one there except for Trang Le, the busiest woman who founded the fashion week. But things went well in the end and I was so glad that I made a decision to attend this event at the last minute.

This year, I was not only a show-goer but also a contributor to a successful fashion week. It was my honor to be given an opportunity to lead their social media channels. Being the face behind VIFW's online images is challenging and fulfilling at the same time. It requires me to come up with relevant, engaging, and interesting content as fast as possible from 9am to 1am every day. Ironically, it took me only 5 minutes to compose an English paragraph, but 30 minutes to create a Vietnamese one. I hope I didn't sound silly after all and you enjoyed following the #VIFW journey with us on Facebook & Instagram.

On the opening night of VIFW, I wanted to make a bold statement so I chose this ASOS sequin colorful jumpsuit. It was the brightest and loudest outfit I've worn to date and to be completely honest, it wasn't my favorite choice. But guess what? Everyone I met that night loved my outfit including Harper's Bazaar Vietnam, SaoStar, Kenh14, and a few others.

Perhaps, a striking outfit can speak louder than any whistle to get everyone's attention. I learned that on this trip.

THE SHOW

Vietnamese fashion designer, Nguyen Cong Tri opened VIFW with his Haute Couture collection called "Lua" aka Paddy, featuring 41 looks in total. His collection inspired by a paddy field and Lanh My A, a rare traditional fabric in Southern Vietnam.  

My favorite look from his collection! 

Fashion designer Joe Chia from Malaysia presented his "Chapter 9" collection on the first day of VIFW. If you love monochromatic style, you'll be obsessed with his designs. 

Closing day 1 of VIFW was a special collaborative collection between Harper's Bazaar Vietnam with Vietnamese- Amercian designer Cory Tran. 

Besides Cory Tran's East-meet-West collection, the appearance of Victoria's Secret's model Sessilee Lopez on the runway was truly a highlight of his entire show. 

Day 1 of VIFW ended with a bang. But wait until you see day 2, 3 and 4. 

I shall be back! 

Thank you so much for reading! 

Photos by Street by Chanh, Navian Photography, Harper's Bazaar Vietnam, Kenh14, SaoStar. 

::Outfit::

ASOS sequin jumpsuit (old)

Salvatore Ferragamo handbag

Alexander McQueen sunglass

Asos choker

Zara shoes- Similar here 

 Meals are the most important part of the family's daily activities. Like many other families in Vietnam, we love family bonding time over a meal. We try to have lunch and dinner at home together. This was our sumptuous gathering dinner before New Year. Trust me, on a regular day, we don't cook this much. It doesn't matter what we eat, it's the time that we can sit down and enjoy a meal together that matters. 

Never leave Vietnam without trying a bowl of Pho. You can choose to eat Beef noodle (Pho bo) or Chicken noodle (Pho ga). They taste wonderful!

My days in Vietnam are pretty laid-back. It's either I would stay at home and play with my nephew or I would go out shopping for New Year with my mom and dad. A beautiful sunset on the day I went out with my Mom.

Fresh peach blossoms at every house. The blossom tree is an iconic symbol of Lunar New Year in Vietnam. It's said to bring wealth and happiness. To my family, the blossom tree is not only a must-have item for New Year, but also reminds us of our old and sad story.

On New Year days, we'll bring Miu to the park, take family photos, and visit our relatives and friend's houses. The routine stays the same every year, but we never get bored of it.

I guess it doesn't matter where I am or what I do, it's who I am with and I know I'm happiest whenever I am with my family.

Besides lotuses, blossom flowers, and bamboos, star fruits which are seen in many villages in Vietnam, also have a special meaning to us. It's a part of the lesson that we first learn in the school. It's a playground of many kids in the countryside. It reminds us of home and our childhood memory. I can't think of anything more appropriate to end this blog post than the photo of the real starfruit tree that I captured at my grandma's house. Its image always stays in my heart.

I'd like to welcome you home with me through a short video clip that I filmed during my trip. Hope you like it.

Thank you so much for reading and watching!

Thank you so much for reading! 

::Outfit::

Carine Roitfeld x Uniqlo synthetic leather coat- Similar here. Also love this one

Lover & friends maxi dress- Thanks to Revolve Clothing

GUESS over the knee boots

Forever21 turtle crop top

Valentino handbag

Alexander McQueen sunglasses

I’ve been away from my blog for so long that I don’t even know how to pick it up from here. Since my last blog post “Airport Chic”, I’ve traveled thousands of miles back and forth. Although I planned to blog on the airplane, at the airport, or in the hotel, it was incredibly hard to keep the usual routines when my body was messed up by different time zones and the crazy amount of activities I had everyday. I micro-blogged on my Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat though.

 Now that I have a little bit more time, I’ll try my best to catch up where I left off and give you a flashback of what happened since January. Even though my body will go through another jet lag test, I’m so determined and motivated to get this done.

 Back in February when I was in Vietnam for Lunar New Year. The weather was incredibly beautiful this time. No heavy rain and freezing wind like previous years, only bright sunshine and crispy air. It was chilly in the morning, warm in the afternoon and cold in the evening. It was a perfect time to play dressed-up and to test my layering skills. My mom and I like to go for last minute shopping just 2 days before the Lunar New Year­. As usual, she would take me around the city and we would end up buying some flowers at the Flower Street. There was no difference this time except for the gorgeous sunset as the backdrop that my mom managed to capture. These pictures remind me of how silly we looked in the middle of the street trying to get the perfect shots and laughing at each other’s poses. It was a real golden hour to me.

Thank you so much for reading!

::Outfit::

Mackage trench coat

Zara legging - Similar here

H&M black turtle-neck dress - Similar here

Zara faux fur scarf - Similar here

Valentino studded boots- Also love this affordable version.

Coach sunglasses

M2Malletier handbag