By : Aly Abaquin
While in HCMC my last fashion extravaganza was the Milano fashion show wherein I had attended and treated to a fashion show that is a feast to the senses.
Sight, smell, and taste are all an integral part of the shopping experience in the bustling marketplace in HCMC. If you’re for exotic shopping the smell of the cinnamon, anise, black pepper, cloves and coffee (Vietnam is the world’s second largest producer of the latter) waft through the markets. Mixed with less pleasant odors of nuoc mam ( fish sauce), heaps of mangos, purple dragon fruit, enormous jackfruit and the pungent durian spills out onto the streets are basic staples in any marketplace but wait the rich and famous converge on the different level of shopping paradise.
The rich goes to the streets of Dong Khoi, the fashion high street that is, last season, yours truly was invited and was rubbing elbows with the crème the la crème of Saigon. Seen and tasted the Paris in the orient has truly been an exotic shopping paradise for over a century.
Proofs of these are the Milano Fashion show: Colours-bustling of colours is what we seen in the Catwalks, like their exquisite lacquered boxes, silk ao dai (vietnam’s graceful national costume for females) buffalo horns ornaments, elaborate embroidery, stone carved Buddhas, and intricate wicker basketry are elements of the fashion scene in HCMC.
So here are the pictures as I introduce to you FASHIONISTA SAIGON.
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