You may not expect to buy wine and feng shui ornaments at a fashion fair, but it is what happened at the 2013 Vietnam Fashion Fair (VIFF 2013), the largest such event of the year which kicked off Friday.
The impressive showcase of a Viet Tien new collection plus the introduction of a 2-meter-wide tuxedo by Nha Be Corporation still failed to erase the disappointment of customers attending the six-day event.
The fair attracted well-known names of the local fashion sector such as NBC, Viet Tien, Phong Phu, Binh Minh, and F-House.
Still, there are businesses selling non-fashion products behind unnamed booths.
These unknown sellers put Buddha statues, feng shui stones, and even Ninh Thuan wine, on shelves instead of their latest fashion products.
And yet it is not difficult to find booths that sell pajama and lingerie in a way that looks like they are in a small market, rather than an event where the organizers expect to “expand the relationships and partnerships among manufacturers and seek to reach international customers in a more professional approach.”
Hoang Ve Dung, deputy CEO of Vinatex and head of the organizers, said these non-fashion businesses had been allowed to register as there were many available spaces for rent.
He said the organizers will review all of the booths at the venue.
The annual VIFF has been held for more than the last ten years, and this is not the first time such phenomenon happened.
But the organizers do not seem to have an adequate solution to curb it.
VIFF 2013 is co-hosted by Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Binh Convention Center from November 1 to 6.