Meet this year’s new tiger kings. 2022 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger and big named luxury fashion houses are marking the occasion with collections inspired by the brave and fearless creative. Gucci, Burberry, Balenciaga, and Prada have all embraced the tiger as their new spirit animal and design muse, releasing coveted fashion and accessories rich with bold reds and tiger stripes galore. With red hues symbolizing good fortune and joy in Chinese culture, the tiger represents confidence and creativity- and these collections are big on both. Not only are we excited to add some animalia to our looks, Gucci and Prada are also donating a portion of their profits to programs protecting and supporting wildlife and endangered species.
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Here, GRAZIA rounds up the luxury labels celebrating the year of the majestic tiger.
Gucci
Starring real tigers in the campaign “Gucci Tiger,” the brainchild of creative director Alessandro Michele was photographed by Angelo Pennetta, expressing Michele’s deep-seated “fascination with the beauty of nature.” With tiger motifs scattered across blouses, jumpers, slacks, shoes, and bags, Gucci highlights its connection with the striped feline. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, Gucci continues to donate to the Lion’s Share Fund as it has since early 2020. The program works to protect endangered species and conserve their natural habitats.
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Balenciaga
Balenciaga’s creative director Demna celebrated the year of the tiger by splashing a collection of 57 pieces with tiger stripes, bold orange accents, and little leaping tiger icons. Including fleece jackets, silk shirt-dresses, t-shirts, bright orange bags, shoes, and more, the literal interpretation still maintains Balenciaga’s signature design codes.
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Burberry
Bringing in the Lunar New Year properly, Burberry’s capsule in honor of the event highlights strength and courage- a good way to rein in the year of the tiger. With graphic tiger prints and striped motifs, the striking orange and red hues put a new and unexpected twist on classic Burberry ideals. Shop the collection here.
Prada
Calling upon their Chinese brand ambassadors Prada’s Chinese New Year campaign dubbed “Action in the Year of the Tiger,” is starting fresh with a philanthropic spirit. Donating proceeds to the China Green Foundation’s “Walking With Tiger and Leopard,” the program works to raise awareness and protection for wildlife and biodiversity in China. Inviting art students under the age of 30 to participate in the campaign, artwork interpreting tigers will be chosen to be included in a special Prada project later in the year.
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Louis Vuitton
Paying proper homage to the Year of the Tiger, Louis Vuitton has launched a selective edition of gifts paired with a short-film in celebration of the holiday. Starring Zhou Dongyu and directed by Roman Coppola, the feature show cases a dream-like wanderlust associated with the French fashion house’s lofty heritage. From luxe leather to Precious Tiger Beanies, LV’s Lunar New Year collection runs the full spectrum of limited-edition pieces.
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Ferragamo
Italian luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo has taken an artistic approach to its Chinese New Year celebration. Calling upon Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu to create a distinctive and intricate design exhibiting a regal tiger, the print found itself emblazoned across accessories included in the tribute collection inspired by the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Tiger. With Ferragamo having prided itself on always interweaving art, fashion, and culture, the collection embodies the best of those three elements.
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Stella McCartney
With her boundless love for animals obvious in this, and every other one of Stella McCartney’s collections, the nature-loving designer pays homage to the majestic tiger for the Chinese zodiac Year of the Tiger. With Albert Seleznyov’s Y2K airbrushed illustrations of the wild feline, elements of the jungle cat find its way emblazoned on bags, tees, and sweats in McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
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Fendi
Dubbed the Spring Festival Capsule collection, Fendi is celebrating the Lunar New Year with an ultra-exclusive limited-edition collection paying homage to the power tiger. Maintaining all of the Italian fashion house’s design DNA, the collection incorporates feline elements, specifically bold tiger stripes splashed throughout knits and handbags, alike.
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Etro
With totes, handbags, scarves, and tees and sweaters, all representing Kung Fu Panda characters, Tigress seems to be stealing the show. In honor of the Year of the Tiger, Italian label Etro has immersed these beloved characters into their capsule collection, integrated within the brand’s signature paisley print.
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Jil Sander
In celebration of the Year of the Tiger, fashion house Jil Sander has produced an artistic collection of six pieces emblazoned with abstract watercolor paintings of the ferocious feline. Consisting of a coat, a sweater, a blouson, a t-shirt, shirt, and a foulard, the capsule is created from merino, cotton, and silk in basic blacks and creams showcasing the tiger prints. Maintaining the brand’s signature minimalism, the limited-edition pieces’ courageous imagery exudes a strong statement to bring in Chinese New Year. Available from January 15th, the curated collection will be sold exclusively online and in select Jil Sander locations.