At the traditional costume contest within the framework of the “Miss Grand International 2025” contest taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, contestants together honored their national identity and creative spirit through each outfit they showed. Representative from Vietnam – Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi proudly promotes the art of Vietnamese folk water puppetry to international friends through a costume called “Thang Long Hoi”.
The design is inspired by the art of water puppetry, which is the eternal pride of the Vietnamese people. The outfit recreates the image of magnificent communal houses by the lake, which were once the stage for many folk tales, and reflects the creative soul and Vietnamese spirit.
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Young designer Nguyen Huy Hoang shared, “Thang Long Hoi” carries within itself the desire to preserve identity, so that water puppetry – an invaluable spiritual heritage continues to shine brightly in the era of integration, affirming Vietnam’s position on the world cultural map.
The design is inspired by the art of water puppetry, which is the eternal pride of the Vietnamese people. The outfit recreates the image of magnificent communal houses by the lake, which were once the stage for many folk tales, and reflects the creative soul and Vietnamese spirit.
Young designer Nguyen Huy Hoang shared, “Thang Long Hoi” carries within itself the desire to preserve identity, so that water puppetry – an invaluable spiritual heritage continues to shine brightly in the era of integration, affirming Vietnam’s position on the cultural map. world.
Previously, this outfit won the “National Cultural Costume Design” contest at the “Miss Grand Vietnam 2025” contest and was officially selected to accompany Vietnam’s representative in the international contest “Miss Grand International 2025”.
On stage, “Thang Long Hoi” appears prominently with the frame surrounding the skirt body gilded and carved with intricate patterns, the inner skirt body reflecting bright light when moving, combined with props recreating the image of a dragon in the traditional art of water puppetry. Overall creates a vivid visual effect.
The national costume “Thang Long Hoi” weighs about 30kg with large size and bulky structure, requiring solid performance skills and the ability to master the stage. In front of an international audience, the Vietnamese representative strode confidently and bravely, demonstrating careful preparation and professional spirit.
Before the competition, Yen Nhi said she almost had to assemble and wear the costumes herself backstage. Even though the outfit is bulky with many complicated details, she still meticulously connects each part, ensuring every detail is perfect to deliver a complete and emotional performance on stage.
“It can be said that this costume is challenging, not only in the stage performance but also in the preparation process, when many details with complex structures have to be assembled. Wearing it, I could barely move quickly. Each movement must be carefully calculated to both maintain shape and express the spirit the designer wants to convey. I try to bring the most complete performance with all national pride.” – Yen Nhi expressed after the competition.
Also according to the representative from Vietnam, she initially planned to demonstrate fireworks effects emitted from dragon-shaped props on her costume, but due to safety reasons and transportation regulations on the plane, the fireworks department could not be brought to Thailand. Besides, the performance time at “Miss Grand International” is quite short, only allowing contestants to pose for a few seconds at the end of the stage, while the fireworks effect lasts nearly a minute. Therefore, she decided to omit this part to ensure safety and make the performance more neat and professional.
With “Thang Long Hoi”, Yen Nhi is expected to once again bring home the “Best National Costume” award like the two previous Vietnamese representatives, Doan Thien An (2022) and Le Hoang Phuong (2023). This award is not only a matter of personal pride but also an opportunity to spread the cultural values and national identity of Vietnam, while honoring the creativity of Vietnamese designers.
According to the announced schedule, the competition will continue with the night, semi-finals on October 15 and finals on October 18, 2025. Up to now, Miss Yen Nhi is in the Top 20 of the “Country’s Power of the Year” category and has entered the next voting round, having the opportunity to appear in the final Top 20 of “Miss Grand International 2025”. Besides, the Vietnamese representative also received high votes in the “Best in Swimsuit” category, promising new achievements.
