What to Wear for Lunar New Year 2025: 6 Fashion insiders share their tips
Lunar New Year isn’t just a celebration - it’s a spectacle of colour, culture, and couture. Marking the start of the lunar calendar, it’s a time for dazzling festivities, lavish feasts, and age-old traditions to summon luck, love, and prosperity.
The dress code? Think red - lots of it. Symbolising good fortune, the hue dominates everything from silky qipaos in China to embroidered hanboks in Korea and flowing ao dais in Vietnam. Gold accents, intricate florals, and luxe silks reign supreme, while brand-new outfits signify fresh beginnings. It’s the perfect excuse to dress to impress - and most importantly, manifest the most stylish year yet.
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H! Fashion caught up with six style insiders to reveal the looks they’re wearing to ring in a fabulously chic Lunar New Year.
Patricia Zhou - Ballerina
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
I’ve got a few Lunar New Year events coming up during the week so I’m looking forward to getting to see some of my friends in the industry and catching up with them there. I’m also planning to do a casual get together with friends at my flat with heaving plates of dumplings and big bottles of sake to share. Of course things have been crazy so I haven’t invited them yet!
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
I’m excited to be celebrating in Sau Lee for one of my events this year. I’ve gone for a beige-y pink 'qipao-style' dress and am excited to bring in the element of red through my makeup and nails - I think it’s a fun way of incorporating colour whilst not being so on the nose.
What are your go-to Lunar New Year wardrobe staples?
For such a food-centric holiday, I’d recommend an item that’s comfortable and warm. I recently received a beautiful red cashmere cardigan from GOBI, and it’s the perfect item for wearing at any celebration as you can dress it up or down. It’s so versatile.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
For me, dressing up and making an effort is so important as it’s a good way to put your best foot forward at the start of the new year. Taking care of yourself and how you look/feel is a good way to show up for yourself and I think that carries through to how we approach all aspects of our daily lives.
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, how will you embrace its themes of growth and renewal?
For me, this year is really about going back to my roots of ballet and performance but doing it in a different way. I’ve grown a lot as an artist emotionally and mentally in the last few years and am excited to return to more dance-centric spaces in the coming year to focus on my craft with a renewed sense of who I am as an artist.
Edeline Lee - Fashion Designer
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
I’m keeping it intimate and celebrating at home over dinner with some friends.
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
I will be wearing our scarf top and simple plait trousers in burgundy because this outfit will make me feel comfortable, feminine and strong and is on theme in the red colour family.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
Sometimes the time you spend dressing is the only moment that you are alone in the day and have few minutes to breathe, reconnect with your body, and prepare yourself energetically for the day. I love to spend extra time dressing up for special moments. At the New Year, I like to think about my past year and consciously pivot myself to look forward with hope to the next year.
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, how will you embrace its themes of growth and renewal?
The Year of the Snake invites introspection and transformation, and I’d like to try to remember to embrace that as we prepare for all of our events this year, not least, an exciting new season at London Fashion Week this February!
Elle McPherson-Yoon - Deputy Registrar at The Royal Academy of Music
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
You’ll find me with friends and family eating lots of yummy New Year foods. I’m also looking forward to celebrating the Year of the Snake with Manolo Blahnik.
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
One of the lucky colours for my Chinese Zodiac (Horse) this year is purple, so I have a beautiful purple velvet suit by one of my favourite designers, Sanoë, lined up.
What are your go-to Lunar New Year wardrobe staples?
You can never go wrong with a touch of red or gol - or why not go for a full monochrome look! More is more when celebrating the New Year.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
I dress up to invite prosperity and good fortune into the New Year. Start as you mean to go on!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, how will you embrace its themes of growth and renewal?
I’m looking forward to reflecting on what changes I can make during this transformative year.
Haeni Kim - Kitri Founder
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
I’m going to a lovely event hosted at the gorgeous Mimi Mei Fair by Strathberry and Rosie Lai which I’m really excited about. I’m loving the fact that there are more festive events surrounding Lunar New year every year and it’s such a great opportunity to celebrate together even if we’re not at home celebrating with our families as is tradition.
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
I have a few outfit options planned and will decide on the day. They’re all quite literal - it’s fun to go for a dramatic red look for a Lunar New Year event and I just generally try to avoid wearing any white or black. One option is a caramel faux snakeskin mini skirt (very on theme) which I’m thinking of pairing with either the matching jacket from our RE24 collection with a silky red top and heels, and the second one is a bright red waistcoat and trousers co-ord with Korean inspired tie details from our upcoming SS25 collection. Another option is a fab silky red/pink ribbon printed Cindy dress from our AW24 collection which I’ve been dying to wear to an event all winter.
What are your go-to Lunar New Year wardrobe staples?
Red, red and more red. I’m generally a huge fan of any shades of red so that’s what I usually go for the occasion. In South Korea, the rules for dressing for Lunar New year is now a lot more relaxed so if I’m spending it with my family, it will generally be a lot more casual than what I would wear to an event.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
I have so many fond memories of growing up in South Korea and spending Lunar New Year with all my extended family every year. We’d get together to honour our ancestors, eat and drink and play games over a few days. You’re supposed to wear something new to usher in the new year traditionally and as it’s most likely that you won’t have seen your extended family for a little while, my mum always made sure that I was looking my best for those occasions, so I’ve always been so excited to get a new outfit for Lunar New Year each year and going shopping with mum.
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, how will you embrace its themes of growth and renewal?
I’m so excited for the new year. As I enter into my last year of the 30s (!), I feel like this is the year of growth both personally and professionally. Last few years have been crazy – running a business and having my first child, it’s been a whirlwind and it’s taken a toll. This year I want to travel more, spend more time with my family in South Korea and generally spend more time and energy taking a better care of myself.
Stanley Baby - SOL EYEWEAR Founder
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
This year, I’m thrilled to be hosting a Chinese New Year party in collaboration with Christie’s, followed by an after-party at Tramp. It’s going to be an exciting evening filled with celebration, cultural appreciation, and good company.
Beyond that, I’ll also be attending plenty of gatherings with friends and family - Lunar New Year is always a wonderful time to reconnect and share joy with loved ones.
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
My style for Lunar New Year 2025 is all about festive elegance and embracing timeless traditions. This year, I’m spotlighting a few of my favorite brands—Yali Milano and Shiatzy Chen for their beautiful craftsmanship and nods to Chinese culture, along with Shanghai Tang for classic pieces with a modern twist. But the standout for me this year has to be Giorgio Armani’s ( my ultimate favourite ), mandarin collar suits, they’re effortlessly chic and perfect for making a statement during the festivities.
What are your go-to Lunar New Year wardrobe staples?
For me, dark-coloured velvet jackets, (burgundy, black, red) with intricate Chinese embroidery are absolute must-haves for Lunar New Year. They exude old-school glamour and bring an understated elegance to any look. Paired with tailored trousers or even a striking accessory or scarf. They’re my go-to choice for creating a sophisticated yet festive outfit.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
Dressing up for Lunar New Year is a meaningful way to celebrate the occasion and show respect for its significance. It’s not just about looking your best but about embracing tradition and carrying forward cultural pride. To me, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the values of family, prosperity, and renewal, while also expressing my personality through thoughtful fashion choices. In Chinese superstition, dressing up will bring you luck, health and wealth all year around!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, how will you embrace its themes of growth and renewal?
In the spirit of the Year of the Snake, I’m focusing on personal growth and transformation. I plan to declutter my wardrobe, making space for pieces that truly resonate with me. Travel is another big priority - I want to explore new places, meet inspiring people, and gather fresh ideas. This year, I’m all about embracing change with intention and creating a foundation for continued success and creativity And of course focusing on my Sunglasses Brand SOL EYEWEAR and my agency business between China and the UK.
Betty Bachz - MØY Atelier Founder
What are your Lunar New Year 2025 plans?
I’m spending Lunar New Year with my family in Chongming, Shanghai. It’s my first time celebrating LNY in China since I left at the age of four, and being my birth year, the Year of the Snake, makes it even more special.
What’s your outfit inspiration for Lunar New Year 2025?
Since I spent two weeks in Shanghai before Lunar New Year, I had time to properly prepare. I designed two qipaos and had them tailored by an old master. My inspiration came from vintage Old Shanghai posters and Maggie Cheung’s iconic looks in In the Mood for Love. I opted for an exaggeratedly high collar and carefully hunted for unique prints that felt both flattering and slightly regal.
My must-have Lunar New Year staple recommendation is a red two-piece skirt suit—mine is an archival Dior. It’s incredibly versatile; I’ve worn it as a set with different shirts or turtlenecks underneath and often styled the pieces separately with my other wardrobe staples to add a pop of colour to my everyday looks throughout January and February.
Why does dressing up for Lunar New Year matter to you?
Dressing up for Lunar New Year is steeped in tradition. We wear fiery red to ward off evil spirits and bad fortune, a practice especially significant if it’s your birth year. Personally, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to support the new generation of Chinese designers, like Ao Yes allowing for modern interpretations of tradition attire.
