The outfits, from the Co Tu, Gie Trieng, Ba Na, E De and Ca Dong ethnic groups,  will be part of a showcase highlighting Vietnam's traditional weaving at the ‘TENUN Fashion Week 2021'. 

A model showcasing the fashion of the Co Tu ethnic group of Vietnam. Six traditional outfits from ethnic groups in Vietnam will be highlighted at the online ‘TENUN Fashion Week 2021' in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia on December 5. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Chan Photography

The online fashion event will involve 44 weaving communities from different countries in Southeast Asia, promoting a unique collection of traditional weaving products.

The Japanese non-governmental organisation Foundation for International Development/Relief (FIDR) started the Traditional Weaving Network in the Central Highlands (TWeN), selecting the best collections to join the ASEAN-area fashion event.

The collection from TWeN, as well as other groups from ASEAN countries, will be on TENUN's website and social media sites from November 15-17. The outfits will appear on the fashion catwalk. 

FIDR said it has established TWeN to preserve the cultural values of traditional weaving in the Central Highlands region in 2019. 

Two Co Tu women brocade weaving in Bho Hhong Village in the central Quang Nam Province. The tradition has been preserved among ethnic communities with support from NGOs and local authorities. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

FIDR is a Japanese NGO that has been working in central Vietnam for more than 20 years. They aim to tackle poverty and social development among ethnic minority groups.

About 80 local ethnic groups in Vietnam have been involved in developing 230 brocade products, offering 150 products to the market and earning VND2 billion (US$87,000) over the past four years, a report from FIDR unveiled.

In cooperation with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and local authorities, FIDR has implemented a four-year Project for Rural Development by Local Initiatives of the Ethnic Minority Communities in Nam Giang District, in central Quang Nam Province.

Dancers perform at a traditional festival in a suburb of Da Nang. Traditional weaving and culture have seen a revival in central Vietnam. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The project had helped successfully build the ‘Nam Giang Model’ – a base structure for a craft network among ethnic groups in Vietnam. It has built the brands and marketing systems of local products from Xo Dang, Ba Na, Ta Oi, Co Tu and Ma ethnic groups, in Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Kon Tum and Dak Nong provinces.

The Co Tu weaving group in Zo Ra Village, Nam Giang District, was the first weaving co-operative to export products to Australia.

A series of community-based tourism destinations have also been built in Ta Bhing and Ta Lu Communes, and Bho Hoong and Dhroong villages in Quang Nam Province, and Ta Lang Village in Da Nang, to boost the brocade trade.

Source: Vietnam News 

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