On November 2nd, 2024, Ao Dai by Cute Sass proudly hosted a groundbreaking campaign, "Ao Dai for Every Body." With more than 140 applications for our campaign, we had the honor of featuring a cast of 22 incredible individuals from all over Southern California with diverse backgrounds. This photoshoot event marked a significant milestone in our ongoing journey towards body inclusivity within the Vietnamese culture.
The Meaning of "Ao Dai for Every Body"
Our brand’s mission has always been to make the traditional Vietnamese Áo Dài accessible to everyone - regardless of age, background, or especially size. With Ao Dai by Cute Sass leading as the world’s first and most inclusive Áo Dài brand, this campaign not only showcases our size range but also highlights diversity in our community while connecting everyone to Vietnamese culture. We wanted to show that Áo Dài is truly for every BODY, proving that size is just a number.
Behind the Scenes
With the craziest marketing schemes, our team worked hard to spread the word about our casting call. After carefully selecting our cast of 22 models in a sea of competitive applications, our team picked and prepared áo dài sets for each of the models. They also set up two backdrops for the occasion: one for professional portraits and one themed backdrop with decor and props for fun content ops. To elevate the experience, our marketing team busted out the high-end photography equipment to ensure the cast received the best shots possible. We organized interactive games for the attendees, including trivia and posing competitions, paired with exciting prizes and limited-edition brand merchandise!
The Photoshoot Event
Photoshoot day was filled with excitement and empowerment. The event was not just a photoshoot but a celebration of unique stories, self-expression, and heritage. With the help of our amazing photographer, RJ Pacquing, and our talented creative director, Annie Tran, everyone struck their best poses and truly shined in front of the camera for their personalized portrait shots.
Through professional photography, making new friends and memories, and heartfelt testimonials, participants shared their evolving experiences with the Áo Dài. Our cast highlighted what inclusivity means to them, the hardships they faced from cultural beauty standards, and how wearing the Áo Dài makes them feel more connected to their Vietnamese roots. To commemorate such an amazing bonding experience, everyone captured the moment with group photos, delicious boba, cool prizes and merch, and, of course, plenty of FUNNY AO DAI CONTENT.
Watch the hilarious skits our models had so much fun acting in:
As a token of appreciation for participating in our campaign event, our models received vouchers to use toward their favorite áo dài purchases before parting ways with us. It was a joy seeing everyone be able to take a piece of the day home with them.
Community Response
The response from our community was overwhelmingly positive. Seeing such a broad range of individuals represented in Áo Dài sparked conversations about evolving cultural beauty standards and the importance of inclusivity. We received countless messages and comments from people expressing their joy and pride in seeing a piece of their culture honored in such a transformative way.
“Hi Sophia/Kathy/whoever runs this IG, thank you again so much for including me in your photoshoot yesterday ❤️ I had a blast and you all are so amazing. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be there and show that even people like me deserve to have an Áo Dài they love and that looks great on them.
Growing up in Kentucky as a bigger Vietnamese man, I faced a lot of insults and mistreatment by everyone—including family. Being in a place where the Vietnamese presence is small, I often felt disconnected from my culture and truly alone. But I’m so happy to have found you all. Yesterday was the first time in a long time where I felt part of my culture and like I had a place with my people. So thank you again. I look forward to seeing how all the photos turned out and hope to have the chance to work with you all again 😊”
“My prior negative experiences trying to find the perfect Áo Dài really lowered my self-esteem. Hearing that they didn’t have my size—or literally being told I was ‘too big’—was so disheartening. It was hard for me to find cute Áo Dài that I could actually fit into. Seeing Ao Dai by Cute Sass’s wide range of sizes for almost every design makes me feel better and happy that I can comfortably represent my culture in my own body.”
“I haven’t found the perfect Áo Dài for me yet. Most premade sizes, fits, and designs just aren’t flattering for men in general—unless they’re custom tailored. And with my family always commenting on my weight, I’m excited to hopefully find an Áo Dài that makes me feel confident enough to wear for my wedding or family holidays.”
With help from our cast and team, we created a visual size chart featuring many of our styles and sizes. We also received an overwhelming amount of support for this chart online—over 100K views and 9K likes on TikTok, 1k+ likes on social forums, and 28.8K views with 200+ reshares on Instagram. This new chart helps our customers better gauge sizing with a visual reference, making it one step easier to connect with Vietnamese culture.
What’s Next for Áo Dài and Every Body?
The success of the "Ao Dai for Every Body" campaign has inspired us to keep pushing the boundaries in the Áo Dài industry. We are committed to making Vietnamese cultural wear even more accessible to all and look forward to bringing more inclusive and innovative designs and styles to our community.
We want to formally thank everyone who participated and supported this campaign as we are excited to embark on more initiatives like this in the future.
Stay tuned for more updates, and remember: Size is just a number, and Áo Dài is for Every Body. ❤️
