Brands Hop Into the Year of the Rabbit With Products and Rituals – WWD

Shanghai — As China prepares for its first Chinese New Year holiday rush after the lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions on January 8, brands release Year of the Rabbit campaigns for the critical gifting period. Did.

With the country’s economy experiencing a steady U-shaped recovery and the luxury sector expected to grow by 5-10% in 2023, the brand will offer a wide range of products as Chinese shoppers and a global retail release. Introducing the Lunar New Year Capsule Collection, which includes resume travel.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, tourism revenue during the 2022 Lunar New Year holiday reached RMB 26.5 billion ($3.8 billion), up 4% year-on-year, but a New Year’s travel boom is expected this year.

This year’s Chinese New Year falls on January 22nd, marking the beginning of the year of the Rabbit, an energetic and prosperous animal said to be the luckiest of the 12 zodiac signs.

Pooky Lee, fashion curator and partner at Shanghai-based creative agency Poptag, said the Chinese New Year provides an “opportunity for brands and designers to showcase their ability to localize culture and express it creatively.”

Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Gucci have created playful, childlike rabbit motifs on a variety of products, including festive and casual wear, handbags, jewelry, and the popular gift item scarves.

Neither Chanel nor Hermès have released capsules for the occasion, but the latter is running a rabbit-themed edit on its WeChat mini-program e-commerce site.

Balenciaga is also conspicuously absent from the festive event, possibly due to recent controversy over past advertising campaigns.

Burberry has created a Lunar New Year capsule reimagining the brand’s signature TB monogram with motifs inspired by bunny ears and cartoons. Some are placed back to back so that the ears meet to form a heart shape, while others sit on top of the Burberry logo.

The collection is accompanied by a series of short films featuring actors Qi Shi, Shi Pengyuan, and sportswoman Jiao Lina. The images were shot by her video director Zika Liu and photographer Sky.

To add a pop and fun feel, brands such as Givenchy, Mulberry, Moschino and Moncler were associated with famous bunny characters to create a sense of nostalgia and cater to a wide audience.

Mulberry has collaborated with Miffy the Dutch Rabbit to launch a capsule collection featuring Miffy’s signature orange, green and blue bags and accessories. Mulberry brought the collection to life with a campaign featuring hilarious models playing hide-and-seek against the Shanghai skyline.

The brand said the collection’s “bright color palette and playful design encapsulates Miffy’s sense of joy and adventure,” and that Miffy’s “youthful character” will appeal to audiences around the world.

“In the short time since the collection was launched, we have seen tremendous response to this collaboration, not only in China, but across our global stores and digital network,” added Mulberry.

American pop culture character Bugs Bunny takes over Moschino’s Lunar New Year collection. Moschino’s biker bag has bunny ears, and his jacket and silk pants are printed with bugs eating carrots while wearing a black tie.

Moncler has teamed up with Roger Rabbit, the protagonist of Disney’s 1988 animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, for a campaign shot by up-and-coming Chinese photographer Sky, featuring Moncler ambassador Wang Yibo as a dream model. I caught it in such an environment.

Givenchy has collaborated with another Disney character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, for a capsule collection.

Bottega Veneta and Prada focused less on rabbits, instead creating poetic tales that explore the evolving meaning of the Chinese New Year.

In the case of Pooky Lee, an “emotionally sensitive” campaign could further attract younger Chinese consumers who value the brand’s sensitive and creative expression. “It means truly understanding and respecting the complexity of the market,” Lee said.

Bottega Veneta released a fashion film called Reunion in Motion, which follows young travelers, including Chinese model Liu Wen, on a journey home.

Echoing creative director Mathieu Blazey’s vision of ‘Craft in Motion’, the brand has created a traditional 2020 model without the brand logo, just the slogan ‘On the way home, Happy New Year’. I moved the green skin train.

The month-long initiative will bring passengers from Shanghai to Dalian with a special stop in the Shanhaiguan area near the Great Wall, coinciding with the Italian luxury brand’s destination campaign for the Year of the Tiger 2022 .

Prada has also taken a nonchalant approach, with a focus on building an intimate relationship with its brand ambassadors. Entitled “Memories of Beauty,” the campaign will feature Prada ambassador Tsai Xukun, Chunxia, ​​actor Yu Huangbai and model Du Juan alongside still life paintings of objects such as his record player and narcissus bowls. . past. “

For Self Portrait founder and creative director Han Chong, it’s equally important to celebrate traditional values ​​such as “unity, community and shared rituals.”

The contemporary womenswear brand enlisted British-Chinese photographer Alexandra Reese and Chinese stylist Audrey Fu to recreate the family banquet scene with rich colors and textures.

The collection features designs for women and children and includes a cheongsam-inspired holiday dress in the brand’s signature guipure lace and crepe fabric.

“This is our second Lunar New Year Capsule collection and has been growing in popularity with our wholesale and retail partners,” said Chong. “We believe part of our success is due to our honest yet modern approach to celebrating this momentous moment with a contemporary sensibility that was previously lacking in the market while respecting our traditions.”

And Chinese designer brand Xu Zhi, who is keen on crafting new rituals and “making every day count,” created a holiday campaign featuring friends and family in bunny-stuffed sweaters and cardigans. Designer Daniel Shu Zhi Chen also makes a cameo appearance.

“Our ancestors celebrated the 24 solar terms and 72 pentads, but the deeper meaning of creating rituals is to live in the moment, to record the love and goodwill that surrounds me, and to I think it’s about sharing love with our customers, Chen.

Another local brand, Short Sentence, continues its Lunar New Year holiday celebrations through Valentine’s Day. The brand created a red and pink “Mr. Bunny” sweater and a window installation that looks like a rabbit hole at the brand’s Shanghai store.

Short Sentence designer Lin Guan said the collection aims to break the stigma of showing love and gratitude to family and loved ones.

“Chinese people express love and admiration only modestly. Love should not be expressed passionately. “But when I say, ‘I love you too,’ it makes me less embarrassed.”