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Nguyen Bich Hong Diem, 32, stepped out of a car and walked through a shopping complex in Saigon Ward, HCMC, accompanied by four men carrying umbrellas. The scene was filmed as part of the “socialite stroll” TikTok trend, where women pretend to be wealthy heiresses or successful businesswomen in public.

Diem claims to have spent nearly VND40 million on a film crew, four actors posing as bodyguards and a custom-made outfit.

She wore diamond jewelry for the shoot.

“Working in business, I want to build a sophisticated and powerful image on social media,” she says.

Hoai Thu, 23, spent VND6 million to film a similar video at the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrians-only street in Hanoi, hiring a VinFast VF 9 car, two bodyguards and a three-person production team.

She says she spent three days rehearsing how to exit the vehicle and pose for the camera.

The video ended up attracting nearly two million views on social media.

“Being chauffeured around and having someone hold an umbrella for me in public made me feel like the main character in a movie,” Thu says.

Over the past week, hundreds of social media users have joined the “socialite stroll” trend, staging videos in which they are financially independent women or members of affluent families. Originating from Chinese short-form videos, it has spread through TikTok to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Tran Binh, 35, who owns a video production studio in HCMC, says he has received hundreds of inquiries in the last two weeks about filming costs to the fad.

Most callers are aged between 25 and 35, he says.

He says the production is more complex than standard fashion shoots, typically requiring teams of 5-10 people, including a visual director, lighting technicians and actors posing as bodyguards.

High-powered lighting and special-effects equipment are also needed, he says.

“Some people spend tens of millions of dong on all-inclusive packages.”

Binh, who has worked in filming and photography for nearly 10 years, says people are seeking immersive personal experiences and creating content based on the latest online fads, with other current concepts including motorcycle-themed street videos and staged paparazzi-celebrity clips.

He partners with other service providers, and customers include foreigners, he adds.

Hoang Ha, a lecturer of journalism and communication at the Vietnam Women’s Academy in Hanoi, says the trend reflects the needs of modern life shaped by digital culture.

Participants often choose public locations such as shopping malls and luxury hotels to draw attention from passersby as they seek both online engagement and the experience of being the center of attention, he explains.

“For many young people, wealth is no longer a distant goal but an identity that they can try on or emulate.”

The fad also shows people’s increasing willingness to spend on intangible values such as emotions, stories, and personal experiences, he says. This is also what businesses capitalize on and seek to create value through memorable experiences.

Mai Phuong, 30, chose a hair salon in Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi, as the setting for a video titled “Even a trip to the hair salon should be luxurious.”

Phuong, who works in the business sector, says making the video allowed her to visualize her goal of becoming financially independent.

“Being part of the trend brings short-term enjoyment. I use it as motivation to keep working toward my goals.”