Fashion has long harnessed the symbolism of the horse, a recurring motif for brands including Gucci, Loro Piana, Versace, Dior, Celine and Stella McCartney. In 2026, fashion’s equine fixation will take center stage, as China ushers in the Year of the Horse.
Brand celebrations make sense: Chinese New Year is a key consumer spending period for the region, with online retail sales growing 5.8% over the eight-day holiday in 2025, according to government data. Mintel found that in February 2025, for the Year of the Snake, 47% of Chinese consumers reported spending more on clothing over the holiday.
This year’s Chinese New Year (CNY) festival kicks off on February 17, running for 16 days until March 3. Brands are already taking part. Horse motifs are appearing in stride at Burberry, Loro Piana, Sandro and Tory Burch, while horse-related trinkets and charms are being sold by Fendi and Moynat. Some brands are appointing Chinese ambassadors timed to make the most of the celebrations: Emporio Armani tapped TFBoys’s Jackson Yee, Loewe hired Chinese actor Wang Yibo, while table tennis star Ma Long is a Prada frontman. Others are working with local designers, like Feng Chen Wang for Barbour, Jacques Wei for H&M, and Shuting Qiu for Galeries Lafayette, to make the most of the moment.
The last Year of the Horse was in 2014, and much has changed since then. Today’s consumers are more visually and culturally literate than twelve years ago, since exposure to global luxury storytelling has “raised expectations significantly”, says Alec Hou, founder and CEO of brand experience agency Essence Group. Back then, CNY campaigns in China were still largely symbol-led and literal. Hou says there’s been a shift in expectations since. “In 2014, we had a heavy use of red, zodiac animals and overt festive cues,” he explains “[Chinese] consumers were impressed just by getting attention from a global luxury brand, rather than by the execution itself.”
Since then, China has experienced a surge in consumption, followed by a post-pandemic leveling out with an economic slowdown. Mintel points out that for 2026, CNY consumption is moving away from the less grounded, impractical spending of previous years, and turning to more rational choices with shoppers seeking both practicality and cultural resonance in their purchases. This means best practices for CNY have shifted, and striking the right tone is more important than ever. Restraint is key. Brands are encouraged to tap into Chinese cultural elements and offer products that foster emotional connections, such as those tied to seasons or traditional wellness concepts.
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