HALONG BAY, Vietnam (March 14, 2018) — Paradise Vietnam’s pioneering spirit will be on full display April 20 when its newest cruise ship serves as stage for Halong Bay’s first-ever floating fashion show.

The unprecedented event will be orchestrated by renowned Vietnamese clothes designer Le Thanh Hoa and take place during sundown on the sundeck of Paradise Elegance 2, one of two 200-ton steel vessels Paradise launched last year.

The boats, which measure 61 meters long and 13 meters wide and offer 31 spacious cabins, are one of the largest ever deployed in Halong Bay for overnight cruising.

“Sure, size matters, but so does style and substance,” asked Nguyen Cao Son, Paradise Vietnam’s chief operating officer. “(Paradise) Elegance has those qualities as well, which is what makes a partnership with Mr. Hoa such a perfect fit.”

Since winning the prestigious Aquafina Pure Fashion design competition in 2009, Hoa has established himself one of the premier designers in the world.

His dresses have been worn by contestants in the Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss Universe pageants as well as by supermodel Leomie Anderson, who arrived at last year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai in one of his numbers.

In addition to breaking new ground in Halong Bay, the fashion cruise is designed to give passengers an exclusive sneak peek at Hoa’s 2018 summer collection, “The Oriental Sun,” which was inspired by symbols of the sun and the most elegant Vietnamese women’s attire of the French colonial era.

The show will entail 30 to 45 looks presented by 15 Vietnamese models. It is expected to last about 45 minutes and be followed by live music.

“Launching this collection in a UNESCO World Heritage site as magnificent as Halong Bay and with a company as esteemed as Paradise is a dream come true,” said Hoa. “It’s going to be an evening to remember not just for me, I think, but for all.”

Founded in 2008, Paradise Vietnam operates seven luxury cruise ships in Halong Bay as well as the 156-room Paradise Suites and Paradise Trend hotels — the first and only boutique luxury hotels in Halong City.

The brand also owns a total of six highly-rated restaurants in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City and provides support for The Quintessence of Tonkin, a new cultural show performed six nights a week on the outskirts of the Vietnamese capital and conceived to rival any outdoor theater production in Asia.

For more information about Paradise Vietnam, visit www.paradisevietnam.com. To learn more about its cruise division including the April 20 fashion cruise, go to www.paradisecruise.com.