The horse, in the Chinese zodiac stands for momentum, independence, restlessness and appetite for risk. This is not the docile ox or the inward-looking rabbit. The horse moves, fast and often sideways. In 2026 the Chinese New Year will be celebrated for 16 days from February 17, welcoming the Year of the Horse. Brands plan these collections months in advance, often launching in January before the holiday peak hits. The last Year of the Horse was 2014 when luxury was still riding a China growth boom and loud logo optimism. Now it’s a more self-aware market with hyper-educated consumers, slower growth and sharper taste.
Fashion has always loved the horse. Equestrian codes sit at the heart of European luxury with saddlery, leatherwork, harnesses and the aristocratic myth of control and grace. What changes in a Year of the Horse moment is authorship because the symbol is reinterpreted through Asian cultural meaning of freedom, luck earned through effort, success driven by stamina rather than inheritance.
This is where the collections get interesting. The smartest houses are not slapping zodiac decals onto legacy bags. They are softening silhouettes, introducing movement through fringe, fluid tailoring, kinetic prints, and sculptural accessories that feel mid-stride and not static. Even when literal horse imagery appears, it is treated with restraint or wit, not costume.
Burberry’s Year of the Horse capsule leans into its own equestrian Knight emblem which itself is a symbolic figure since 1901, and reimagines it in painterly embroidery, watercolour-style sketches and red-grounded pieces that feel festive. Acne Studios, on the other hand, takes a more minimalist route with graphic horse motifs on jeans, knitwear and accessories that speak to their laid-back, contemporary DNA while nodding to the zodiac theme. Loewe’s fringe and tassels echo a horse’s mane on bags like Puzzle and Amazona 31, while their animated shorts and installations with traditional Chinese artistry turn the zodiac into narrative.
On watches you’ll see the horse in more artisan languages: Vacheron Constantin’s zodiac Métiers d’Art Horse pieces with engraved figurative horses; Piaget’s Altiplano Horse editions with subtle enamel and motif work; and even Longines’ Master Collection with a galloping horse rotor engraving linked to Chinese art.
China and the broader Asian luxury market no longer respond to obvious pandering. What sells now is cultural fluency paired with real product value. A silk scarf with a beautifully rendered equine motif works because it respects tradition and price sensitivity. A limited-edition bag or watch works because scarcity always matters.
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