VIENTIANE, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Local and regional labels were out in force as Lao Fashion Week 2016 arrived at its penultimate evening Friday night in the Lao capital Vientiane.
Four evenings of fashion came to a climax under a full Autumn moon by the Mekong River at Vientiane's Landmark Hotel with local and regional labels competing for the attention of the diminutive yet passionate audience assembled over four consecutive nights in the riverside city.
Labels represented included locally and regionally based labels Khang, Ministry of Silk, Voravaj Bangkok, Hayden, Naree, Annhien and Lydia.
On the final evening select pieces from the collection's were auctioned to support the Lao Young Designers Project.
These were sold alongside work of locally based British painter Jan Wollen whose works has appeared on a Lao postage stamp a copy of which has been accepted to the royal collection of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Also launched during the exhibition was the latest title Contemporary Woven Lao Silk by author, master designer and Khang label chief, Vientiane-based Lao artisan Viengkham Nanthavongdouangsy.
Speaking to Xinhua, Viengkham said the message was that the rich and time honoured styles and techniques of her South-East Asian nation should not remain stuck in time, but be constantly inspiring in finding answers to the needs and ways of the modern world.
"We have to do new design and modern design that can serve the international market. It is not a case of being limited by technique but just to the idea of the designer," she said.
And her message to young designers?
"Be brave!"
