Lunar New Year in Fashion
Designers across several brands really embraced The Year of the Snake, giving all of us something to enjoy.
Happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate! If you aren’t as familiar, the Lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian cultures - those of Chinese, South Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino, and Indonesian descent. It doesn’t fall on the same day each year because unlike how America celebrates every 365 days, it is instead measured by the passing of 12 phases of the moon. Each phase is roughly 29 days long, so this calendar is 11 days shorter than ours. There are also 12 zodiac sign animals that each year could be assigned to. 2024 was the Year of the Dragon, representing power, strength, and good fortune. We’ve now entered the Year of the Snake, symbolic of resilience, creativity, and adaptability. A big shoutout to my friend Kaylee Choi for hosting us last night to ring in this special occasion.
Lets check out a few pieces from brands who dropped interesting capsules for this special holiday.
Bvlgari
Bvlgari dropped a massive (and when I say massive, I mean almost 100 different items) Lunar New Year collection. They took on a very literal approach with everything and it worked incredibly well. I love the red accent on the diamond encrusted necklace, and the Serpenti watch is starting to become a viral sensation given that it has the look and feel of stacked gold bracelets and beautiful watch in one. The cheapest option in this long list are a pair of black sunglasses with a small silver snakehead as the hinge that are in the $500 range. The pieces shown above…well…those will run you closer to the cost of a car.
Versace
Admittedly I’ve never been a huge fan of Versace. I think their brand quite often come off as tacky and isn’t really my style. But these red slippers and bath robe are a completely different story. The borocco pattern is woven into the fabric to compliment it’s already luxurious feel. The perfect way to walk around the house after a bath or shower before getting the best night’s sleep.
Ralph Lauren
That damn teddy bear gets me every time. In keeping with their tradition of having a few t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters with the bear dressing for a specific occasion, they decided to adorn him in a traditional cultural outfit. A quick style tip - the trend right now is dressing exactly like the bear on the Ralph Lauren item you’re currently wearing. So if you happen to pull that off, kudos to you.
Gucci
Though it’s another brand that hasn’t always been my favorite, I have to tip my hat to Gucci for this sweater. As I’ve gotten older, I (and the vast majority of consumers) have been shying away from logo-forward clothing. But there’s something about how they weave the snake into it that looks so cool. The wool and cashmere blend confirms that it’s soft and will keep you warm. I’d absolutely add this piece to my already too large sweater collection.
Amiri
They took the already popular bones jacket and somehow made it even better. The red snake patter wraps around both arms beautifully. Not too much to say here other than I’m a huge fan of it. (As a reminder, this is an Amiri stan account, so don’t be surprised if they’re included in a lot of future Substack posts)
Kith and Adidas are both honorable mentions because I talked about their Lunar New Year capsules in my previous post, so definitely check that you haven’t already. Unfortunately the majority of this list isn’t available in the states. So if you have friends who live in one of the countries I mentioned, it might be worth having them order you something and then paying them back What other Lunar New Year capsules did I miss that you’re a fan of?