How the Fashion Industry Is Celebrating the Year of the Dragon
No offense to the other animals that make up the Chinese zodiac, but the dragon reigns supreme. It’s not hyperbole – the mythical creature is revered by cultures who celebrate the Lunar New Year for being especially auspicious and powerful. Anecdotally, would be parents try their best to time to their children for these years and there are mini baby booms during dragon years. Those who are lucky enough to be born under this time period are considered to possess natural confidence, intelligence, and tenacity.
But even if you aren’t a dragon, 2024 sounds like a good one. Known as the Year of the Wood Dragon (it kicks off on February 10th), the next 365 days are forecasted to bring about opportunities, changes, and challenges. For those seeking a shift in their current lives, this might be your best chance. It’s no surprise then that all of the designers, stylists, and influencers we talked to are exceedingly optimistic, excited to ring in a fresh start. Despite the fact that New Year’s fell during New York Fashion Week, everyone found time to celebrate.
Read on to hear how they rang in the Year of the Dragon.
No offense to the other animals that make up the Chinese zodiac, but the dragon reigns supreme. That’s not hyperbole—the mythical beast is revered by the cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year, and considered an especially auspicious and powerful symbol. It’s said that parents try to time their children’s birth so the kids will be born under the dragon sign—and indeed, there are mini baby booms every 12 years when the dragon is ascendant. Those lucky enough to be born during the Year of the Dragon are believed to possess natural confidence, intelligence, and tenacity.
But even if you aren’t a dragon or expecting one, this Lunar New Year sounds like it’ll be good. The Year of the Wood Dragon kicked off on February 10, 2024, and the next 350-odd days will supposedly bring us all opportunities, changes, and challenges. (If you’re seeking to make some kind of shift, this might be your best chance.) So it’s no surprise that when we asked designers, stylists, and fashion influencers about their hopes for the cycle ahead, everyone was exceedingly optimistic and excited to ring in a fresh start. And even though the Lunar New Year fell during New York Fashion Week, they all found time to celebrate.
Read on to hear how these 10 style stars rang in the Year of the Dragon.
Vanessa Hong, influencer
“My sibling is flying in from Vancouver to spend the holiday with me. She’s my secret to ringing the new year with extra luck and fortune, especially since the dragon is a very powerful and auspicious animal in the Chinese zodiac. I’m hoping that 2024 will have that energy!”
Laura Kim, designer
“This year is my year to fully explore and take risks with my work. I spent some time being scared about Covid and a bad economy, but I realized I was just being lazy!”
Phillip Lim, designer
“This is my third year working with Hennessy to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and it’s always so fun. At the same time, I also had my brand’s presentation. The key for me is to compartmentalize, focus, and meet the moment. Even though it can be overwhelming, I try to approach it as a celebration of abundance and remind myself how lucky I am. It’s fitting: We’re ringing in the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is a powerful year for change, but also an opportunity to harmonize and bring together prosperity, progress, and peace for all.”
Humberto Leon, Opening Ceremony founder and restaurateur
“This one’s going to be good—I’m inspired by the boldness of the dragon and feel incredibly excited about 2024. Since moving to Los Angeles and opening [my restaurant] Chifa, I’ve always wanted to come back to New York. So for one night, we brought Chifa here to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with D’usse XO. Between creative-directing Katseye (a girl group that’s about to debut), all things Chifa, and [my coffee shop] Arroz & Fun, there’s a lot of fun stuff on deck for people to enjoy.”
Dora Fung, editor in chief of 10 Magazine USA
“I always clean my apartment thoroughly on Lunar New Year’s Eve, get fresh flowers, and I usually have a fun group dinner with friends in NYC. On the menu is noodles, fish, and dumplings. This year will be the same, except I’ll get to celebrate the end of new year’s with my family back in London. I hope to take more chances in the Year of the Dragon and to make wise decisions to go with them—plus, of course, be healthy and wealthy!”
Gia Kuan, publicist
“My celebrations of the Year of the Dragon merged with work, so it felt very full-circle! I asked my friend Blake Abbie to host a cocktail at Moss, a beautiful space near Bryant Park. Plus, I co-hosted a mah-jongg tournament with my friend Dong-Ping Wong over at Food Architects and Kapono Chung at Combo, before heading to Phillip Lim’s annual LNY dinner with Moët Hennessy. For the actual holiday, I was working on Kim Shui’s FW24 fashion show, so it all feels like family in the hustle together. It makes sense, because 2024 is about strength and resilience—something that is much needed and being manifested for, but I’m also hoping for good health and plenty of happiness as well.”
Blake Abbie, editor in chief of A Magazine Curated By
“Dragon years are supposed to be the most lucky, and I think it’s true, because my mom came to visit me to celebrate together before the madness of Fashion Week. We’ve kept it pretty low-key. One thing I’ve been wanting to do for years was plan a dinner party with friends, but it’s always been too busy. This year, like magic, an opportunity came along to host a night with Moss for friends with mah-jongg, great drinks, and food. I invited chefs Woldy Kusina, Jessie YuChen, and Susan Kim to make foods from their own cultures’ celebrations—so it’s really about connecting over full bellies and shared traditions.”
Kim Shui, designer
“Our show was during Lunar New Year’s Eve, and because the dragon has been of significance to the brand, there were a few themes celebrated within the collection. The wood dragon is a particularly special year for me, because it symbolizes strength, resilience, and renewal. I’m hoping 2024 brings abundance and good fortune!”
Caroline Maguire, fashion director at Shopbop
“I multitasked this year! I had a full day of fashion shows and then ended the day at a local restaurant with our friends. The dress code was red, of course—it’s great energy to start the year right! The Year of the Dragon is über-lucky, and I know it’ll be one of prosperity. Be your most fierce self, stand up for your beliefs, and embrace the fire. It’s going to be lit!”
Beverly Nguyen, stylist and Beverly’s founder
“With this year falling on NYFW, I made sure to have several moments to cherish traditions despite the crazy schedule. I threw a big party with Swedish cashmere designer Lisa Yang at Mr. Chow’s at the start of the week. We had lion dancers, plus all the traditional Chinese dishes, and the room was roaring with laughter and toasting! On the actual Lunar New Year day, we closed the Beverly’s store for a team lunch with our friends and designers. I ordered a ton of Wu’s Wonton King and brought in a Vietnamese dish called banh chung—sticky rice mung bean and pork belly wrapped in banana leaf—that my parents shipped to me overnight from California. We popped confetti shooters on the sidewalk with all the kids. Red envelopes and drinks flowing throughout the space for a couple of hours before returning to shows that evening!”
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