Model smokes on catwalk, organizer gets penalty

At the Elle Spring Summer 2012 Fashion Show, held on April 8 at the HCMC Zoo, well-known local model Thanh Hang, who walked for Do Manh Cuong’s collection, shocked people watching the show by smoking during her time on the stage.

The designer said that Hang’s smoking was an expression for the collection’s concept of the lonely and desperate mood of a young girl who broke up with her boyfriend.

It was just an e-cigarette, not a real one, he added.

Though several audience members agreed that the smoking made the catwalk appearance more fanciful, many others said the performance was unacceptable.

Recently, singer Thu Minh received a similar fine for performing in a skimpy outfit at the “Ngan Sao Hoi Tu” (The Convergence of a Thousand Stars) show in HCMC on April 20.

The singer wore revealing clothes which were criticized by the public as being offensive and inappropriate to traditional Vietnamese culture and customs.

However, to many people, the penalties are too lenient to serve as a deterrent to others.