The "Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award Vietnam 2004" was a part of the Singaporean fashion festival, the greatest one in the region with participation of 12 contestants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The first prize winner will join the group of "New Generation and the Source" at the Mercedes-Benz fashion show in Sydney, Australia. The "Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award" creates a favourable condition for young Vietnamese designers to approach modern fashion technology in the world and helps them establish their own prestigious trademark in the market. Inspired from the beauty of nature and her sweet childhood in peaceful and wild highlands of Vietnam, Ho Tran Da Thao created a collection named "Safari" with colourful hues. She harmoniously combined original colours of nature, such as green of the grass in Spring, bright red of flowers in the dark night and yellow of sunlight running on the green field, to make the collection more beautiful and impressive. The combination of many materials in a product is the uniqueness that makes the collection different from others. On the background of overwhelming colours of neutral and red hues, Ho Tran Da Thao designed modern and youthful styles. With high-heel shoes, handbags and grass-bead necklaces, the wearers look more dynamic and youthful in the modern styles. With materials available in the market, such as khaki, linen and elastic cloth, the garments in the collection generated a high application from the judge and meet the demand of mass-production. Working as a designer for Nino Max in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Tran Da Thao hopes to make her contributions to create a famous fashion trademark in both domestic and foreign markets.         Fascinating "Safari" Besting 10 other fashion designers with their 60 piece collections at the "Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award" held recently in Vietnam, Ho Tran Da Thao won the highest prize with her "Safari" collection.  She will represent Vietnam to participate in the "Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award" in Singapore in April 2005. By: Trong Chinh