Balenciaga drops Year of the Tiger capsule for CNY

Balenciaga has released a capsule collection in celebration of Chinese New Year, which for China’s 2022 zodiac is the tiger.

Tiger prints are featured on knits, dresses and even slides, as part of a 57-piece capsule that embraces the essence of the spirited wild cat. Think stripes, lots of orange and a new tiger motif as branding.

Accessories, shoes and small leather goods are also featured, with prices ranging from 150 euros for a fluffy pair of socks to an oversized-button dress in orange stripes for 1,900 euros.

Balenciaga isn’t the only luxury brand to embrace the lunar new year theme. Gucci, Prada and Burberry have all dropped tiger-themed products in time for CNY, which officially begins on February 1st and lasts until February 11th. Also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year comes with many rituals, of which shopping and gift giving are a major activity.

In 2021 online retail surged to 700 billion yuan (108 billion dollars) according to Global Times, as many Chinese could not travel. Figures from Brandhouse show retail revenue during the Spring Festival period in 2011 was 405 billion RMB and grew to a whopping 1.005 trillion RMB in 2019.

As long as brands stay within the theme of celebrating good fortune, wealth, happiness and longevity and respect local traditions, their CNY-timed collections can prove to be fruitful. By introducing limited edition and collectible items, changing the packaging to be more festive and in the spirit of the zodiac, brands that go beyond the obvious red, gold and lantern motifs will fare the best.