On Wednesday, Ngo Phuong Ly, the wife of Party General Secretary To Lam, welcomed Loo at Hanoi’s Presidential Palace. The two then enjoyed watching water puppetry and tasting traditional foods.

At the event, Loo wore an ao dai made from Ha Dong silk, with artisans from Trach Xa village—renowned in the northern region for its long-standing tradition of crafting ao dai—contributing to the sewing process.

The designer behind Loo’s ao dai, Vu Viet Ha, shared that he received the request to create the dress just three days before the event. He explained that the design was meant to be simple yet elegant, featuring a cool blue tone and a wide, loose-fitting shape. Ha spent two days crafting the dress from handwoven silk, with all of the intricate details sewn by hand.

“Every detail was hand-sewn onto the soft, handcrafted silk fabric,” said Ha. “I feel truly honored to have designed this ao dai for the spouse of Singapore’s Prime Minister. When I received positive feedback from her through Party General Secretary To Lam’s spouse, I felt so happy.”

In addition to the handcrafted ao dai, the designer also created a raw silk shawl with intricate lotus flower embroidery for Loo, which was crafted by artisans from Quat Dong village, a place renowned for its traditional hand embroidery.

Loo’s appearance in the ao dai garnered attention, with many social media users praising her graceful demeanor in the traditional Vietnamese attire. In previous public appearances, she also impressed with her refined fashion sense, often opting for monotone dresses with minimal patterns and keeping accessories to a minimum.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his wife’s official visit to Vietnam took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife.

Loo, 51, graduated with a degree in Business Administration, specializing in finance, from the University of Southern California. She previously enjoyed a successful career in finance and investment and remains actively involved in charity work and the arts. Since mid-2024, she has consistently garnered media attention both domestically and internationally for her public appearances with her husband.

Designer Vu Viet Ha graduated from the Hanoi College of Arts and the University of Industrial Fine Arts in 2001. After completing his studies, he pursued a career in fashion design while also teaching at the Fine Arts Department of the Hanoi College of Arts.

His ao dai creations are made from natural, rare materials such as banana silk and lotus silk, with every step of the process, from weaving to finishing, carried out by hand.