“My husband and I have kept these two Ao Dai in memory of my mother – she passed away recently – not forgetting her past ties and our present ties with Vietnam. She was extremely fond of these two dresses which she used to wear especially in memory of my father who had died a very young man when I was a little girl.
The first dress is entirely made and embroidered by hand, and she wore it on special occasions. After her arrival in France she could no longer wear them on account of the weather, except on Tet feast days. My mother is no longer with us, and I cherish these two dresses which connect me with her. They mean a great deal to me when I relate my personal history and my family’s history to my children and grandchildren.”
Hélène DRAGASSI –
