Year of Red Horse gallops into fashion with playful charms, limited-edition style
As the Year of the Red Horse begins, fashion houses are once again turning to the Chinese zodiac for inspiration, releasing playful and symbolic items that celebrate fresh starts and good fortune. From luxury bag charms to limited-edition watches and graphic streetwear, the horse motif has emerged across categories this season, offering collectors and trend followers a whimsical way to mark the Lunar New Year.
Leading the lineup is Loewe’s Horse Padlock Charm, part of its New Year capsule. Crafted in brass with a metallic silver body accented by gold details, the miniature horse-shaped lock is designed to dangle from handbags as a sculptural statement. Dior follows with its Lucky Dior Horse bag charm, a couture-tinged interpretation rendered in gold-finish metal and multicolored silk threads, finished with a leather string for easy attachment. The piece reflects creative director Jonathan Anderson’s lighthearted take on the house’s heritage codes.
In fine watchmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre pays tribute with the Reverso Tribute Enamel collection, featuring hand-painted enamel miniatures inspired by iconic horse paintings by renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong. Each model showcases a different mood: a galloping horse set against an evergreen pine green dial, a warhorse on distant mountain blue, and a standing horse on a warm crimson-dawn orange, underscoring the maison’s artisanal savoir-faire.
Ready-to-wear brands are also embracing the theme. Ami Paris' “Wild Spark” capsule translates the spirit of open plains into knitwear, shirts and jersey pieces in a palette drawn from nature — ocher, camel, burgundy and evergreen — blending modern ease with classic craftsmanship. Burberry, meanwhile, reimagines its signature equestrian knight logo for the Year of the Horse, using watercolor and ink-style sketches executed through techniques such as metal-lock embroidery, cross-stitch and applique badges.
On the Korean fashion front, Open YY and 2000Archives offer more youthful, graphic-driven interpretations. Open YY, led by sister designers Kim Ji-young and Kim Bo-young, introduces a series including an oversized long-sleeve top printed with a mother-and-foal illustration, a graphic tote with distressed details, and a ball cap embroidered with a red horse. The brand, favored by Blackpink’s Jennie and known for its 1990s- and 2000s-inspired silhouettes, previously drew attention with its “Lucky Dragon” pieces for last year’s Chinese zodiac.
2000Archives, founded in 2021 by creative director Hong Da-eun, presents a Year of the Horse zip-up hoodie with embroidered graphics and an adjustable faux-pony-hair bag featuring a hand-sprayed tonal horse silhouette. Blending vintage sensibility with modern sportswear, the brand continues to invest heavily in visually driven campaigns, expanding its global fan base through collaborations and celebrity support.
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