Young girls in modernized national costumes.

Son La has a diverse, rich culture, imbued with national identity, and is a long-standing home to 12 ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own cultural heritage, especially the traditional costumes of each ethnic group. Tourists coming to Moc Chau plateau, Bac Yen highland or Quynh Nhai river area all want to experience taking souvenir photos with unique ethnic costumes. In addition to traditional costumes, tourists are especially interested in the costumes of ethnic groups that have been innovated and created according to modern fashion trends, eye-catching designs, harmonious patterns and colors. The attractive factor of these costumes is the unique combination of traditional patterns of ethnic groups with modern fashion designs, delicate lines, new and eye-catching shapes and highlights, honoring the body, helping the wearer to "shine" in the photos of the highlands.

As a professional photographer, who has been attached to the Moc Chau plateau for many years, Mr. Manh Chi, owner of Studio MC Media, sub-area 14, Moc Chau town, Moc Chau district, shared: In previous years, tourists often liked to take photos with the original traditional costumes of ethnic minorities. Recently, tourists' tastes have also changed, preferring innovative ethnic costumes with new and unique designs. The photo collections have thus become more special, bringing satisfaction to tourists, helping them have a memorable experience when coming to Moc Chau.

Tourists with Mong ethnic children at the tea hill.
Photo source: Manh Chi (MC Media studio).

The innovative costumes at the Studios and costume rental shops in tourist areas and spots in the province are imported from specialized fashion design addresses in Hanoi or designed locally. Also according to the tastes of users, these new costumes are mainly designed based on the traditional costumes of the Mong people, with eye-catching colors and patterns, and designs that can be easily changed as desired, creating highlights according to the designer's intention without losing the inherent national identity. The innovative Mong costumes are also loved by users because they are easy to wear, have bright colors, and create an impressive highlight. In addition, the traditional costumes of the Thai people have also been improved in the style of wide or slit skirts, waist-cinching shirts, and added decorative details or delicate cuts, helping to highlight the figure of young women.

Modern innovative costumes of Mong ethnic children.

According to photographers, the innovative ethnic costumes in souvenir photos will be completely beautiful when combined with the right background. For example, the Mong ethnic costume must be associated with peach blossom gardens, plum blossoms, and misty hills; while the innovative costumes of the Thai ethnic group, which have a graceful and graceful appearance, must be associated with pure white Ban flowers, flowing waterfalls, peaceful and cool villages... when combined, they will help highlight the beauty of the character in the photo and the beautiful costume that the photographer wants to introduce to the viewer.

Ms. Truong Thu Trang, a young tourist from Ha Tinh, said: Compared to traditional costumes that are somewhat simple and similar, the modernized national costumes are unique, novel, with bright colors; modern designs, suitable for the choice of young people. Thanks to that, photo sets with modernized costumes will avoid duplication and the wearer can easily choose the outfit that suits their body shape and personal style.

Modernized Thai national costume with many impressive highlights.

In Son La city, there are also many shops that rent ethnic costumes for performances or photography. Ms. Hoang Thi Hien, owner of Hien Hung performance costume rental shop, Chieng Le ward, City, said: To have a beautiful innovative costume, the designer must not only be creative but also understand the culture of each ethnic group. When designing, innovating the style, mixing patterns, it is necessary to respect the traditional customs of the people, avoiding confusion or combining costumes in a tactless way. Therefore, I often carefully research the culture of each ethnic group's costumes to come up with design ideas, then hire a design unit in Hanoi to draw up detailed drawings and then order the finished product. The innovative costumes of the shop are always chosen by customers to perform on stage, take wedding photos, fashion photos, etc.

Modern innovative national costumes also always respect the original values, taking tradition as the basis for creativity, skillfully combining unique brocade patterns. Most of the innovative national costumes are dresses for women. Although using many new, durable, lightweight, easy-to-wear materials, many costumes still choose to create sunken patterns using beeswax or oil painting techniques, especially patterns on the shirt, helping these details to have real colors, both classic and luxurious. Combining eye-catching jewelry accessories, inspired by tradition; along with suitable makeup and hair, will help women look gorgeous and stand out like wearing an evening gown.

Mong girls in Thuan Chau highlands.

Sewing innovative ethnic costumes in many localities, especially in the Mong ethnic minority region, has also become a profession that brings high income to creative, skillful and hard-working people. The family of Ms. Vu Thi Tung, Co Ma commune, Thuan Chau, produces and sells more than 1,000 handmade products each year, mostly accessories and Mong ethnic costumes, with a revenue of hundreds of millions of VND each year. Ms. Tung said: I often choose light, easy-to-wear materials, sewn in beautiful, modern designs, using colorful motifs as highlights. Each type of costume will be sewn with its own design to be used for festivals, art performances, or as bride and groom's wedding costumes.

Innovative costumes used for performances by the Dao ethnic group.

With constant creativity, each innovative national costume is a work of art that blends tradition and modernity, in line with new fashion trends and the tastes of many people. That is how people who love national culture "breathe contemporary soul" into traditional costumes, helping the heritage of ethnic minorities to always have a lasting vitality over time.

Thanh Dao