A Spanish fashion designer and his family, who have been living and running their business in Viet Nam for years, wish to preserve the country’s rich and fascinating culture.

Residing in Ha Noi, Diego Cortizas del Valle, a Spanish fashion designer, and his wife have been running their fashion brand in Viet Nam for over a decade.

Their trip to the Southeast Asian country became a turning point in their lives as the Spanish couple later decided to return and build a new life together.

Diego Cortizas del Valle with his wife and three children in Tam Dao District, Vinh Phuc Province

“From the beginning, we felt that Viet Nam had an energy that attracted us and kept us here. We then discovered that we had fallen in love with the country, from the landscape to the cuisine and especially the people,” Valle explained.

As Valle used to be an engineer and aspired to be a graphic designer, it is easy to understand why he chose to build a career as a fashion designer with his wife.

The inspiration for his creations mainly originates from the Vietnamese culture, people and scenery, as evidenced by the shapes and patterns of his pieces of clothing.

With the romantic and poetic yet powerful fusion of both European and Asian love, Valle’s designs have always left a strong impression on customers since the day they were first presented to the Vietnamese market at his showroom in Ha Noi.

Since then he has grown the business to Ho Chi Minh City and the central city of Hoi An in 2014, and been part of the 2014 and 2015 Viet Nam Fashion Weeks, and the 2015 Viet Nam Culture Day, amongst others.
Viet Nam has such a rich culture, Valle remarked, adding that Vietnamese cultural values have faded and been forgotten by modern society.

The Spanish couple has given birth to three beautiful children, all of whom were born in the Vietnamese capital city and are fluent in Vietnamese, more so than their parents, Valled told the reporters laughing.

He then continued to share his love for Viet Nam, especially Hanoi, recounting precious memories when Valle and his friends organized a photo exhibition with the theme of the capital city titled ‘Stepping into Each Other’s Worlds,’ or when he and his family took part in religious activities at local pagodas.

The Spanish family has celebrated the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday in Hanoi for over 10 years, partaking in countless Vietnamese traditions, including tidying the house, preparing foods, and wrapping ‘banh chung,’ a type of traditional cake made from glutinous rice, beans and pork and commonly eaten during Tet.

They also rush to West Lake after 10:00 pm to welcome the Lunar New Year as well as witness the beautiful decoration, lights and fireworks performance.

While the kids cheer in great excitement at the pyrotechnic show illuminating the night sky, the couple often silently enjoy the chilly weather of the coming spring.

The Spanish family is living in an apartment complex on Xuan La Street, Tay Ho District, Valled said, adding that it is not difficult commuting as he has become familiar with the streets of Hanoi on his motorbike.

Valle is commemorating the 2016 Lunar New Year with his family in Hoi An and intends to open new showrooms in Ha Long and Sa Pa.

With a genuine love for Viet Nam, Valled has expressed his biggest hope for the future is that his family can become official citizens of the Southeast Asian country.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)