Black Book: From Miu Miu to Hublot, the brands embracing Chinese New Year

With rules on what can be gifted, brands must tread carefully or risk offending their target audience

Liu Haocun stars in the short film celebrating the Chinese New Year directed by Shujun Wei for Miu Miu. Photo: Miu Miu

Each week, Black Book keeps you up to speed with the latest releases in fashion, watches and beyond. Here, we take a closer look at brands focusing on the fortnight starting January 29, when an estimated two billion people globally will celebrate Chinese New Year. The 15-day festival bids farewell to the old lunar year and welcomes in the new Year of the Snake.

Increasingly, global luxury brands are eyeing this celebration as an opportunity to show relevance or to introduce themselves to a new audience. Money is the primary gift on Chinese New Year, in small red envelopes called hongbao. However, it is also permissible to add items such as jackets, hats, scarves and gloves as these express concern for the recipient's wellbeing.

There are strict rules governing what can be gifted (tea) and what cannot (watches or clocks) that a brand must navigate if it hopes to connect with customers. Red makes its way into most campaigns, as the colour is associated with prosperity and life-generating energy, such as fire and blood. Another way to navigate gift etiquette is to offer limited-edition pieces around the lucky number eight.

Here we look at just some of the brands eyeing the Lunar New Year and their approaches.

Faure Le Page

Chinese New Year Daily Battle bag in coated canvas by Faure Le Page. Photo: Faure Le Page

Renowned French bag maker Faure Le Page is embracing Chinese New Year with classic pieces reworked in vibrant reds and blues. The Daily Battle tote bag, Pochette Zip and various wallets incorporate motifs of snakes, which are said to embody wisdom, transformation and intuition in Chinese mythology.

Valentino

Actress Sun Li stars in the Valentino Year of the Snake film and campaign. Photo: Valentino

Looking to brand ambassadors Sun Li and Jolin Tsai, Valentino has created a film around tradition and friendship. Set in an all-red room – a colour associated with luck in Chinese culture – the women are dressed in looks and carrying bags by the new creative director Alessandro Michele.

Arc’teryx

The Alpha SV jacket reworked for the Year of the Snake. Photo: Arc’teryx

South Korean-American artist Romon Kimin Yang reworked Arc’teryx's Alpha SV jacket to honour the Lunar New Year. With jackets an ideal gift, this has a snake design on the left sleeve. Priced at Dh4,115 and limited to just 80 pieces, it is already appearing on re-sale sites.

Hublot

The Spirit of Big Bang Year of the Snake watch by Hublot is limited to 88 pieces, a nod to 8 being a lucky number in Chinese culture. Photo: Hublot

While gifting a watch is considered a no-no in Chinese culture, you can certainly treat yourself to one. Swiss watchmaker Hublot has released a new edition of its Spirit of Big Bang watch, that has a black ceramic case and a bezel engraved with a snakeskin pattern that continues with the serpent looped across the dial. It is powered by an automatic skeleton chronograph calibre HUB4700, a descendant of the El Primero calibre, updated with a low-friction silicon escape wheel. Limited to just 88 pieces, it is already a collector's item.

Arnold & Son

The Perpetual Moon 41.5 red gold Year of the Snake watch by Arnold & Son. Photo: Arnold & Son

Arnold & Son has also created a limited-edition watch in celebration, called the Perpetual Moon 41.5 red gold Year of the Snake. A hand-engraved, 18-carat rose gold snake dominates the dial, coiled around a Ginkgo biloba tree, set against a blue aventurine glass sky featuring the constellations of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia.

Miu Miu

Zhao Jinmai stars in the short film by Miu Miu celebrating the Chinese New Year. Photo: Miu Miu

Miu Miu is another Italian house embracing Chinese New Year with a film. Directed by Chinese screenwriter and filmmaker Shujun Wei, it stars brand ambassadors Zhao Jinmai and Liu Haocun. They are dressed in oversized jumpers, preppy tweeds and jewelled denim, while carrying Penny, Wander and Arcadie bags, decorated with crochet serpent bag charms.