THE Year of the Rat is nearly here, and designers are getting in on the Lunar New Year celebrations. The likes of Nike, Gucci, Etro and Rag & Bone are just some of the fashion brands honoring the Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan. 25 with special collections inspired by some more-than-familiar rodent characters. Gucci, for one, is paying homage to Mickey Mouse with a collection of apparel and accessories that feature images of the iconic cartoon character intermixed with the brand’s motifs and logos. Rag & Bone, for another, is looking back to the 2015 “Pizza Rat,” giving a nod to the viral video of a rat carrying a slice of pizza throughout the New York City subway. The Year of the Rat is the first year in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Those born in the Year of the Rat are said to be successful in their careers, honest and easygoing. Read on to see Year of the Rat collections hitting the market. Gucci Gucci is looking to Mickey Mouse to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2020, creating a capsule collection inspired by Disney’s most famous character. The collection, which hit stores and online on Jan. 3, includes women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, handbags and other accessories that combine images of Mickey with Gucci’s heritage logo. Gucci tapped brand ambassador Ni Ni, actor Earl Cave and designer and poet Zoë Bleu to star in the collection’s campaign, which was photographed by Harmony Korine. Off-White Off-White released its Lunar New Year collection on Jan. 8, which includes women’s and men’s wear, including T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, bucket hats and leather goods. The pieces are designed in black, white and red, printed with the brand’s logo, images of peach flowers and rats and the phrase “Good Luck.” Etro Etro has teamed with Warner Bros. to create a Lunar New Year collection based on the hit kid’s show, “Tom and Jerry.” The collection is fittingly dedicated to Jerry, with unisex pieces including dress shirts, sweaters, bags and scarves featuring images of the cartoon mouse over the brand’s well-known paisley print. Rag & Bone Rag & Bone is paying homage to Pizza Rat — a reference to the viral 2015 video of a rat carrying a slice of pizza in the New York City subway — for its Lunar New Year 2020 collection. The collection includes graphic T-shirts, sweaters, wool beanies and leather goods that are printed with the infamous Pizza Rat image. Moschino Moschino took inspiration from Mickey Rat — the cult-favorite Mickey Mouse parodied cartoon created by Robert Armstrong — for its Lunar New Year collection. Creative director Jeremy Scott created a collection of women’s and men’s pieces, such as graphic T-shirts, varsity jackets, sneakers, backpacks and phone cases, that feature the Mickey Rat cartoon. Scott tapped fashion stylist and model Mia Kong and male model Qi Junkai for the collection’s campaign. Ugg Ugg is celebrating the year by updating its Classic Mini II and Alena boots with decorative sheepskin ears. The brand’s Dannie Mini Backpack will also be updated to include a detachable pouch that also includes the decorative feature. Nike Nike looked back to its last four Year of the Rat collections to incorporate those designs in their newest Lunar New Year collection. The design is reminiscent of Yuxian paper-cutting, a traditional Chinese craft that dates back to the Ming Dynasty where images of animals, flowers and landscapes are cut into the design. The collection includes a number of the brand’s sneaker types, including the Air Force 1, Air Max 1, Air Max 720 and Air Max 90, among others. Diane von Furstenberg Diane von Furstenberg is celebrating the Year of the Rat by reissuing some of her most well-known prints — including a variation of a cheetah — in a collection of dresses and separates designed in a red and pink color palette. The collection includes DVF’s signature wrap dress in addition to satin midi skirts, silk crepe blouses and wrap tops. (SD-Agencies) |