Hanoi (VNA) - An Ao Dai design contest has been jointly launched by theVietnam Women’s Union and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with an aimof promoting both the image and the cultural value that the traditional longdress has in Vietnamese society.

Each entrant is allowed to send a total of five separate designs forconsideration by the competition’s organising board, reported radio The Voice ofVietnam (VOV).

Entries can either be of Ao Dai designs for women or children of a variety ofdifferent ages and are encouraged to combine modernity with tradition.

The organisers are set to prioritise designs that make use traditionalmaterials such as silk, brocade, and embroidered patterns.

All submissions must be original and have never competed in other fashiondesign contests previously.

With the deadline for entries set for June 30, the competition’s preliminaryround will take place from July 1 to July 10.

The contest’s best 60 designs will then compete to progress to the final roundwhich is set to take place from October 5 to October 10 following an onlinevote for the public’s favourite designs from September 20 to September 30.

The awards are set to be divided into two categories, with one prize going toamateur entries while another will go to professional designs. Each categorywill have one first-place prize, two second-place prizes, three third-placeprizes, and four isolation prizes.

Some of the sub-categories on offer include awards for the most creative ideas,the best young designer, and the most popular design.

An awards ceremony and an Ao Dai fashion show will get underway in a ceremonyto mark 90 years of founding the Vietnam Women’s Union on October 20, 2020./.