This year, Chinese New Year falls on February 19 and to celebrate Converse has released their 2015 Year of the Goat collection. Full of dark and rugged details, which happen to be perfect for the winter season, the designs are also inspired by the animal itself with the sherpa-like materials and black sheep leather.
The Converse 2015 Year of the Goat collection also features a sneaker specifically influenced by the Lunar New Year, which is represented by the use of ancient Chinese tapestry patterns for the bold upper. Hypebeast writes, "The Goat is popularly interpreted as a symbol for peace, honesty, and calm in the Chinese Zodiac." This is more of a sentiment that a direction for the line.
Chinese New Year Footwear
The Converse Year of the Goat Collection Celebrates the Special Occasion
Trend Themes
1. Chinese New Year Footwear - Opportunity for footwear brands to create special collections that celebrate Chinese New Year with culturally-inspired designs.
2. Winter-themed Collections - Disruptive innovation opportunity for brands to create dark and rugged footwear designs that are perfect for the winter season.
3. Cultural Symbolism in Design - Trend of using ancient Chinese tapestry patterns and materials inspired by Chinese zodiac animals to create unique and culturally significant footwear designs.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear - Opportunity for footwear brands to capitalize on the Chinese New Year market by releasing special collections that cater to this celebration.
2. Fashion - Fashion brands can explore the trend of incorporating cultural symbolism and themes into their designs, attracting customers looking for unique and meaningful products.
3. Retail - Retailers can tap into the demand for special occasion footwear by stocking and promoting Chinese New Year collections, targeting both local and global Chinese communities.