Haute couture: Designs by Minh Hanh and Cong Khanh to be displayed at the first ever traditional Vietnamese fashion show at France's world-renowned Chambord Castle. — VNS Photos Huy Anh

HA NOI VNS)— For the first time traditional Vietnamese fashions will appear at France's world-renowned Chambord Castle, located south of Paris.

Using the image of a phoenix, which symbolises noble beauty and happiness, Minh Hanh, Trong Nguyen and Cong Khanh will present three collections of Haute couture fashion with three typical styles featuring a strong Vietnamese identity.

"Chambord is a world heritage site, so what we bring there needs to counterbalance it. That's why we've agreed to use the image of a Phoenix, something adored by Vietnamese and also familiar to Westerners," said designer Hanh.

Hanh will present her collection, entitled Phoenix flying to the sun, with 60 outfits using traditional hand-woven material including lace, and linen. The outfits are highlighted with hand-embroidered patterns featuring natural colours inspired by the dress of Viet Nam's ethnic minority people.

In her collection, Hanh also uses crocodile skin, an extremely fine material and the latest trend in the world of high-end fashion.

"Crocodile skin ranks high as a fashion luxury. I want to focus on using such precious material to highlight my Haute couture fashion.

"This is an excellent opportunity to present Vietnamese beauty to the public in such a prestigious place," Hanh said at a press conference on Thursday.

"Each time I bring my fashion abroad, I call it expeditionary. I'm convinced that this expedition will present a different facet of beauty, one that will show audiences in France the real beauty of Viet Nam.

"It's a great honour, but also a real challenge for us to travel their and present our designs at Chambord Castle."

With a collection of 20 samples, architect-turned-designer Trong Nguyen wants to showcase the connection between his fashion designs and the famous paintings currently on display at the castle.

"When I visited Chambord Castle some years ago, I was speechless when I saw the imposing architecture," Nguyen said.

"The basic idea was to make use of the castle's patterns and details, along with the paintings hanging in the castle, to create outfits that harmonise East and West."

Using finely treated metallic materials, Nguyen aims to bring the striking beauty of a masterpiece closer to the public through his fashion. For example, silver jewellery accompanied by images of a Phoenix hand-carved in to horn and mother-of-pearl.

The show will also feature a 20-outfit collection by designer Cong Khanh that combines gothic art with the spirit of contemporary design.

Using his own state-of-the-art 3D printing technique on silk, Khanh has taken the impressive architecture of the Chambord Castle and used it to create something like a city in the air in his designs. The collection is also accompanied by hand-carved wooden jewellery.

Located in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, Chambord Castle was born from the dream of King François, and following his battles in Italy, he brought back the work of many artists to house in the castle, including works by Leonardo da Vinci.

Surrounded by nature, the castle is the largest and most prestigious of the French Renaissance castles and renowned for its perfect and unique French architecture, which combines the French and Italian classical traditions.

The fashion show will take place at the castle's entrance on September 7. — VNS