Chinese Valentine’s Day – also known as Qixi Festival – is rapidly approaching on August 4. Already, some fashion houses are spreading the love with dedicated capsule collections that tie in with the romance theme with plenty of embroidered hearts, stars, and romantic musings taking over ready-to-wear, bags and shoes. Below, a spotlight on a number of them.
Following Moncler’s Qixi outing last year, which saw the luxury winterwear specialist collaborate with Italian brand Naj-Oleari, the 2022 Qixi capsule collection draws closer to the festival’s Chinese roots by working with Beijing contemporary artist Sun Yitian. This year’s edition is rife with playful, balloon-like blue stars – a nod to Sun’s use of inflatable figures in her artwork, and a tribute to The Cowherd and The Weaver Girl, a Chinese romantic tale set in the skies, celebrated during Qixi Festival. Blue stars are printed across bucket hats, jackets and T-shirts, and appear as patchwork on wool jackets. And because it’s all about love, the collection also features his-and-hers tracksuits.
This limited edition Qixi capsule collection, which is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region, is available at Moncler boutiques
The Gucci Lovelight collection is inspired by the idea of spontaneous love in all forms and expressions. Drawing from the House’s heritage, the bags in the collection take after the elements from the Gucci Bamboo 1947 top handle bag, with bamboo materials incorporated into Lovelight’s bags. Plenty of heart motifs and embroidered flowers appear on clothes and accessories, sometimes studded onto bags and sewn into fabrics with the word “Loved.”
The Gucci Lovelight collection is now available at the Gucci boutique in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and on the brand’s e-shop
Balenciaga celebrates Chinese Valentine’s Day by putting a spin on its most popular clothes and bags in the Balenciaga Qixi 22 Series. The brand’s usually structured and futuristic pieces are dressed in reds, hearts, and even glow-in-the-dark pinks for the festival. The limited-edition series also features swimwear along with its popular shoes and bags, including the oh-so-popular Hourglass bag in a glittering black, and Triple S sneakers.
P.S. Catch Balenciaga’s Qixi 22 campaign in videos by Andre Artemisio. Waving robots, built by Engineered Arts, model pieces from the collection, like the bright pink, logo-patterned Hourglass mini bag, soundtracked by classic love songs.
Selected items from the Qixi 22 Series are now available at Balenciaga boutiques and online at www.balenciaga.com
Loro Piana’s timeless silhouettes are paired with colour-blocked red and beige shades to commemorate Chinese Valentine’s Day, named the Lovebeat Collection. Luxurious materials of cashmere, silk, and cotton are cut into co-ord sets, oversized bombers and polos, all adorned with a stylised heart and the Italian brand’s crest in its centre. This capsule collection is dedicated to womenswear and also marks the addition of the Week-End Evo sneakers, which can be worn for a casual walk with your partner, or on a quick jog. Pair this with a casual Loro Piana baseball cap in the colour of love (bold red, of course).
The collection is available at the Loro Piana’s Lovebeat Pop-Up store at Ion Orchard from July 26 to August 10
Loewe’s Qixi capsule collection is an homage to American artist and writer Joe Brainard – an icon of the Pop Art era in the mid- to late-1950s. Playing on quotes by the artist, including one ‘I remain your perfect match,’ the collection of ready-to-wear and accessories sports quirky artwork and that phrase, in an exploration of unexpected ‘perfect matches.’ Some of Loewe’s bags, like the Luna Small and Amazona 16 Square, are emblazoned with Brainard’s witticisms, illustrations and collages in this ode to love, wherever it comes from.
The capsule collection is at Casa Loewe at Ion Orchard and via www.loewe.com
There’s no better time for gift-giving than the Qixi Festival. Bottega Veneta curates a selection of products to celebrate the day of love, including one of its most iconic bags, the Cassette, to treat a loved one. This limited-edition Cassette features the brand’s signature chroma green outlining the bag’s weave, and is available in black and white for a matching set.
The collection is available at the brand’s boutiques
For this year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day, the French footwear brand is releasing an exclusive jewel box containing a sparkling strass crystal brooch, a pair of earrings and ‘Vivier’ crystal studded hairclip. Can you say blinded by love? Meanwhile, the brand’s beloved Viv’ Run Light Strass Buckle Sneaker gets a loved-up makeover in red and pink.
The collection is available from now till August at the Roger Vivier boutique in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
In the Kate Spade New York Summer 2022 collection, Asia regions are exclusively treated to a Chinese Valentine’s Day iteration of the brand’s bags. A Qixi heart is embroidered over top the classic Spade Flower Jacquard pattern, which is used on the Manhattan mini tote, a small and medium shoulder bag.
The collection is available in-stores now