(VOVworld) – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Italian Republic, the Italian Embassy in Hanoi hosted an “Angels of Italy” night at the Italian Cultural Center, Casa Italia.  On the evening of June 2nd, Casa Italia and Le Phung Hieu Street, where the center is located, became an Italian square where an audience enjoyed Italian and Vietnamese music accompanying a fashion show reflecting a harmonious combination of the two cultures.


Felicità, one of the most beautiful Italian songs about joy, happiness, and hope, resounded in Casa Italia and Le Phung Hieu street. A huge backdrop featuring the Milan Cathedral turned the area into an Italian space.

Italian Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni said: “We are about to take you on a fascinating journey through fashion and music of both countries.  Our guide for his special event is renowned designers Minh hanh, one of the co-founders of the Vietnam-Italy Fashion Council. Music tonight will be exceptional. It will be performed by 3 artists who flew from Italy to Hanoi to share our stage with Vietnamese colleges. It’s another example of cooperation.”

The street, lit by blue lanterns, became an outdoor stage where Italian and Vietnamese musicians performed live and models showcased fashion collections.

Quang Tu, Director of the program, said: “The program is a harmonious combination of the music, fashion, and cuisine of Italy and Vietnam under a main theme of Italian stamps. Three fashion collections reflect three styles. Xuan Hao’s collection is inspired by stamps featuring Italian personalities and the designs are young and impressive. Quang Huy has combined the elegance of Hanoi with scenic spots and bright colors of the Mediterranean. Minh Hanh’s collection is a sophisticated display of Italian heritages.” 

With the fashion collections, the designers creatively and vividly celebrated Italians like sculptor Michelangelo, astronomer Galileo, painter Raphael, explorer Christopher Columbus, movie star Sophia Loren, and opera star Luciano Pavarotti, and Italian heritages like Florence, Pisa, Pompeii, and Rome. Designer Minh Hanh explained that “angels of the night” are Italians working in Vietnam and their children, who catwalked alongside the professional models. They brought a true Italian spirit to Hanoi. Claudio Cerabino, who works for the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, shared his reaction.

“It was great, totally new experience for me. It was a nice experience to modeling in Vietnam, which I never expected. It’s the great combination of culture. We have many things in common between Vietnam and Italy. Both countries really care about beauty and arts. We can still do more.”

Eastern and western cultures have blended in the performance of O Sole Mio, Italian for “My sunshine”, by Vietnamese two-string fiddle artist Thuy Anh and Italian violinists Marica and Daniele. 

Thuy Anh said: “Music has no boundaries. I’m very happy to perform this world-famous song with Italian artists. The two-string fiddle has some similarities to the violin, which has 4 strings. We can play some foreign pieces with the two-string fiddle to create a different timbre.”

Italian violinist Marica said: “It’s really magic and friendly. We are enthusiastic to be here part of another culture. It’s really good experience. It’ll be a really nice performance between the audience, the music, and the children.”

The audience appreciated the creative blend of Vietnamese and Italian cultures.

“I think it’s a very interesting thing. We come from two very different cultures. It’s amazing for 2 cultures to engage and work together. Italian can get something from Vietnamese people. And Vietnamese people can get something from Italy. The fashion collections are very fascinating, very impressive, and fashionable.”

“I’m working in Vietnam for Piagio company. This event is very nice, where Vietnamese and Italian people come to feel that they have really something in common, not only from the economic point of view but from the cultural point of view.”