Kelly Marie Tran recently made history to her legacy as she celebrated her historic role as Disney princess. The Raya and the last dragon The actress enjoyed the premiere of the film with a virtual red carpet and chose a traditional Vietnamese áo dài for the occasion. She had the help of designer Thai Nguyen, who made her dream dress a reality. For Thai, Kelly’s decision to honor their culture made a powerful impression.
“When I first heard that my friend @kellymarietran was going to be the newest and first Southeast Asian Disney princess, I was overjoyed. I’m so proud that Kelly is breaking another glass ceiling,” Thai wrote on Instagram. “Imagine how I felt when she called and told me she wanted me to dress her for the premiere of Raya and the Last Dragon … AND in an ao dai?”
Thai designed a beautiful dress for Kelly with elaborate gold embroidered details and a complementary headdress. He said “pride and excitement” couldn’t adequately describe what it felt like to be involved in this “really special project”. Thai stated, “Kelly and I share a passion for what we do and a strong love for Vietnamese culture. We both also understand the challenges of being an under-represented minority in competitive spaces. It is difficult to put into words how much it is means to me that we have been able to connect those emotions and experiences, make her an icon and share our heritage with the world. “See more of her dress in the photos below.
