VietNamNet Bridge – Lingerie, clothes and jewelry which have sexually-arousing images will be banned from introduction on big stages, according to a draft circular on fashion shows.

Supermodel Vu Thu Phuong.

The draft circular, compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Performance Art Agency, includes seven chapters, 21 articles about issues related to the activities of models.

Articles address, among other things, banned activities, working ages for models and conditions to organise fashion shows.

Two of the five banned activities are: Modelling fashions that have contents unsuitable to Vietnamese customs and habits or contents that are banned by law; using pictures, designs or materials that cause sexual arousal.

The phrase “unsuitable to Vietnamese customs and habits” is thought to be too unclear. However, the Performance Art Agency’s official Pham Dinh Thang said: “It is very difficult to set more detailed regulations.”

Elite Vietnam’s director Thuy Hanh said: “The draft circular may make people confused in terms of words but in specific rehearsals, I hope managers will point out which costume is suitable and unsuitable to the customs and habits and why. We can’t ask for a document that lists all illegal activities.”

The chance for Lingerie performance on the stage will be narrow (photo: second prize-winning lingeries at a design contest in Vietnam).

Asking the Performance Art Agency’s Le Ngoc Cuong about costumes that may be considered as sexually-arousing, reactionary or unsuitable to customs and habits, Cuong said: “For example, in western countries, someone can wear clothes, even underwear, which has images of the national flag or the portrait of country’s leaders, but in Vietnam, it is unacceptable. It is also indecent to perform in underclothes on big stages.”

The draft circular also sets the minimum age for contestants of model competitions, 18. This article makes models worry that their careers will be foreshortened.

A senior model, Ngoc Quyen, said: “I began working as a model at the age of 16 and I won my first award at the age of 18. In other countries, models begin to work at the age of 13-14 and they can become famous at the age of 16. In Vietnam, models under 18 years old are often not recognized.”

PL Modeling Company’s director Tran Thanh Long said: “18 is a good age for girls but models should be allowed to work more early because the fashion industry need models of different ages.”

The Performance Art Agency’s Pham Dinh Thang explained: “This is a very open regulation. The draft circular doesn’t set the age for models on the stage, only the age for contestants of model competitions.”

For fashion shows using models of less than 15, the draft circular asks organisers to get models’ parents or guardians’ permission.

Learning experience from recent scandals related to models, the draft regulation said that applications for organising fashion shows must have lists of fashion collections and sketches of products.

Model Anna (white gown), diva My Linh and songwriter Anh Quan’s daughter, performed at Dep Fashion Show 2008 at the age of 14.

This article aims to prevent illegal activities at fashion shows. Recently, the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism gave a warning to the organising board of “Long-legged Festival” show for adding some activities that were not in the rehearsal.

The organising board of the “Night of Style” fashion show on September 12, 2008 was fined 9 million dong for changing costumes, which led to supermodel Vu Thu Phuong’s accident, in which the model’s breasts were exposed.

The Performance Art Agency’s chief Le Ngoc Cuong commented: “The organisers cannot be blamed occupational accidents. If the designer works more carefully, such accidents can be avoided.”

PL Modeling Company’s director Tran Thanh Long said that this regulation is necessary. Because of various reasons, the approved costumes and the clothes that are modelled at fashion shows are sometimes different from each other. The case at the “Long-legged Festival” show is an example, Long said.

The draft circular will be finalised this year. If it is approved and issued, this will be the first legal document establishing the legal environment for the fashion performance industry.

VietNamNet/VNE