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Luxury

Opinion / Are luxury brands doing enough for Lunar New Year? Capsule collections from Louis Vuitton and Givenchy are channelling the Year of the Ox to attract Chinese consumers – but maybe they should get more creative

STORYDaniel Langer
Louis Vuitton’s Year of the Ox-inspired trunks – one of many ways Western luxury brands are attempting to tap into Chinese consumers celebrating Lunar New Year. Photo: Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s Year of the Ox-inspired trunks – one of many ways Western luxury brands are attempting to tap into Chinese consumers celebrating Lunar New Year. Photo: Louis Vuitton
Lunar New Year

  • Covid-19 caused demand for luxury products in North America and Europe to plummet, making the Chinese market more important than ever
  • Western brands are collaborating with Chinese KOLs and celebrities on themed capsule collections – but is it enough to stand out from the crowd?

This article is part of STYLE’s Inside Luxury column.

In recent years, a new ritual has emerged for luxury brands: creating capsule collections for Lunar New Year.
The dependency on Chinese customers has never been higher than now. The demand for luxury brands plummeted in North America and Europe during the pandemic, but the Chinese luxury market is at an all-time high.
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Customers wearing face masks following the Covid-19 outbreak, line up to enter a Gucci store at the Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, in Sanya, Hainan province, China in August 2020. Photo: Reuters
Customers wearing face masks following the Covid-19 outbreak, line up to enter a Gucci store at the Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, in Sanya, Hainan province, China in August 2020. Photo: Reuters
Winning in China is a must for Western luxury brands. So not surprisingly 2021 seems to be the year where Lunar New Year collections will have unprecedented significance. Working with some of the most influential influencers and key opinion leaders (KOLs), brands launched these collections earlier than before, and with more items than ever.

According to the lunar calendar, the new year will start on February 12, 2021, and will last until January 31, 2022. And, per the Chinese zodiac, it will be the Year of the Ox. Since the ox is hard working and methodological, 2021 is supposed to be a year where hard work will be rewarded. A great promise after the difficulties that we faced in 2020. The ox seems to be the perfect symbol for a strong start to the year for luxury brands across all categories.

The Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese zodiac collection introduces the new Year of the Ox edition. Photo: Vacheron Constantin
The Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese zodiac collection introduces the new Year of the Ox edition. Photo: Vacheron Constantin

Many luxury watch brands have launched special edition pieces featuring the ox, such as Vacheron Constantin with two models. Montblanc offers a limited edition fountain pen with a sterling silver cap depicting the ox and related symbols of luck.

Givenchy’s Lunar New Year-inspired bull sweatshirt. Photo: Givenchy
Givenchy’s Lunar New Year-inspired bull sweatshirt. Photo: Givenchy

Givenchy developed a collection for men and women inspired by talent, confidence and openness – attributes the brand claims to be associated with the ox. The ox is symbolised more discreetly on zips of some items, while boldly embroidered on other pieces of the collection.