Ngoc Trinh, a Vietnamese fashion model and designer, is reportedly facing a fine in her home country for wearing a revealing dress at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Ngoc Trinh, 29, appeared at the screening of A Hidden Life — a historical drama written and directed by Terrence Malick (Badlands, The New World) — during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival held at the Palais des Festival in France on May 19.
Fox News reports that Trinh wore a beaded, sheer lace black gown with a double thigh split that exposed her legs, thighs, hips, and much of her torso.
Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Vietnam’s minister of culture, sports, and tourism, described Trinh’s dress as “improper” and “offensive.”
“She is not an artist that the ministry sent to the event. Her outfit was improper, offensive and has caused public outrage,” Thien reportedly told legislators during a session of the country’s National Assembly.
Although the incident occurred 9,000 miles from Vietnam, the minister reportedly ordered an investigation to determine whether Trinh violated Vietnam’s public decency laws by wearing the dress.
According to the Sun, she faces a heavy fine if found guilty.
While many Vietnamese described her dressing as “offensive” and “sexually explicit,” many Western media reports described her as “stunning” in her outfit.
Who is Ngoc Trinh?
Ngoc Trinh, one of Vietnam’s best-known models and fashion designers, was born on September 27, 1989, in Tra Vinh, Vietnam.
She first came to prominence after winning the Miss Vietnam contest in 2011. She later launched a self-titled clothing line and created her own fashion brand C&T. She is also known for designing a suit for Victoria Beckham.
She was named Photogenic Supermodel Vietnam in 2005 and won the Impressive MC Award at the 2016 Vietnam Television Awards.
She is also an actress, and according to her IMDb page, her film credits include the biographical Queen of the Bikini (2016) in which she plays herself. She also appeared as Trang in the Vietnamese film Vu Quy Dai Nao (2019).
She is also an Instagram star with more than 2.3 million followers.