PHNOM PENH: Made-in-Vietnam elegant wedding gowns are the latest sensation on the international stage, sought after by brides from around the globe.
Creative seamstresses, from capital Hanoi to the southern city of Ho Chi Minh, are producing meticulously designed, affordable, and personalised wedding dresses that are penetrating international markets.
Mesmerised by their elegance, Western to Asian brides are making a beeline for the Vietnamese wedding accessories, which was once dominated by neighbouring China.
"The decisive factor remains the personalisation and craftsmanship of Vietnamese seamstresses,” Quynh Nhu, owner of Ngay Mai Dam Cuoi (Tomorrow's Wedding) store based in Ho Chi Minh City, told VnExpress news portal.
"International customers are often surprised that they can have details adjusted to their exact body proportions at a reasonable cost.”
For decades, Vietnam’s professional bridal designers and specialised pattern makers have honed their craft, combining creativity with innovation, to produce handcrafted custom designs that are adding a distinctive look to the wedding industry.
From sleek mermaid gowns adorned with intricate lace embroidery to delicate beadwork and glamorous high-slits dresses, industrious Vietnamese seamstresses can craft diverse styles within weeks, setting new standards.
According to Nhu, 40 per cent of her customers are from Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US).
Many second- and third-generation Vietnamese women living overseas also join her long list of customers.
A typical minimal wedding dress made in a studio in a Ho Chi Minh store could cost about US$450 (RM1,827), while a sophisticated, designed outfit could easily cost US$3,200 (RM12,991), according to popular Vietnamese boutique websites.
The US-based Knot Real Weddings Study 2026 found that, on average, American brides pay between US$1,200 and US$3,200 (RM4,872 to RM12,991) for wedding gowns.
Globalisation has steadily erased cultural and commercial boundaries, while the advent of e-commerce is accelerating transnational trade and consumer demand, fuelled by millennials.
Vietnam’s wedding industry, however, is also thriving from the nation’s hallmark "Doi Moi” (Renovation) reforms launched in 1986 to rebuild and modernise the economy after decades of war.
It transformed the Southeast Asian nation from an agrarian economy into a robust manufacturing and export hub capable of producing advanced technologies and competing in the global marketplace.
As of April this year, Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) surpassed Thailand's, making Vietnam the second-largest economy in the region. The country’s textile and garment exports, valued at US$19 billion (RM77 billion) in the first five months of 2026, are a key economic driver.
In addition to designer wedding gowns, Vietnam exports large quantities of ready-made outfits.
The US tariffs imposed by Washington last year have worked in favour of Vietnamese wedding accessory makers to some extent. The US National Bridal Retailers Association website said almost 90 per cent of bridal dresses sold in American retail outlets are from China. But steep taxes have stymied imports of made-in-China wedding accessories, allowing other producers, such as Vietnam, to penetrate the niche market. - Bernama
