Over the years, Do Trinh Hoai Nam has participated in and supported numerous vocational training, livelihood development and entrepreneurship programmes for women across the country under initiatives organised by the Viet Nam Women’s Union. He has assisted female members in various localities through training courses in tailoring, design and business consultancy related to the ao dai and traditional fashion industries.
The Square-Pleat Ao Dai Formula training courses personally taught by the designer have become an important bridge, bringing professional ao dai-making techniques to women and opening up opportunities for entrepreneurship and sustainable business development.
Through these programmes, hundreds of thousands of women in Viet Nam and among overseas Vietnamese communities have gained access to vocational skills and professional approaches to production and business management that are aligned with labour market demands and household economic development.
Many participants have progressed from students to designers, transforming their first creations into professional fashion collections showcased on major stages. These achievements stand as a testament to the success of hundreds of learners who have accompanied Do Trinh Hoai Nam in preserving and promoting the Vietnamese ao dai.
Notably, under the project “Supporting women’s entrepreneurship in the 2017–2025 period” (Project 939), the designer directly provided training, consultancy and networking support to more than 20,000 women members.
As a result of these efforts, more than 1,000 women have established brands, production facilities or business models in the ao dai and traditional fashion sectors. Many of these ventures have begun to demonstrate effectiveness locally while gradually expanding into international markets.
Among the programme’s outstanding alumni is designer Hong Nhung, who has steadily built a distinctive identity through collections deeply rooted in Vietnamese cultural values and has confidently appeared at numerous fashion shows and events.
Alongside hands-on training, the development and standardisation of professional knowledge has been regarded as a key solution for improving training quality and expanding women’s access to the profession.
Do Trinh Hoai Nam has published the research work “The Square-Pleat Ao Dai Formula”, which systematises ao dai tailoring techniques based on extensive research and practical experience. The publication aims to enrich educational resources for the teaching, training and professional application of ao dai tailoring.
In addition to technical expertise, the training programmes place strong emphasis on business management, brand building and operational skills, in line with efforts to enhance women’s economic self-reliance.
This approach reflects a core objective promoted by the Viet Nam Women’s Union: empowering women to take greater ownership of their economic development while preserving and promoting the cultural heritage embodied in the ao dai.
The Viet Nam Women’s Union’s decision to confer Honorary Membership on Do Trinh Hoai Nam in 2026 not only recognises his contributions to vocational training and livelihood support but also highlights the effectiveness of cooperation between the Union and industry experts in advancing economic development models linked to the preservation and promotion of the cultural values of the Vietnamese ao dai.
