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Divia Harilela

Contributing writer for Style by SCMP, specialising in fashion, beauty and lifestyle


The biggest stars of hit documentary Tiger King are having a comeback – but not on Netflix.
The Year of the Tiger is nearly upon us, and luxury fashion brands have immortalised the animal in creations to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The tiger is depicted in full form on ready-to-wear and accessories at Gucci and Saint Laurent, while tiger stripes and prints reign supreme at Balenciaga and Burberry.
Other labels, including Jil Sander, Salvatore Ferragamo and Proenza Schouler, also feature tiger prints in their catwalk collections.


“Designers have taken a bolder approach by experimenting with tiger motifs and embroideries this season,” says Lupe Puerta, founder and CEO of The Floorr, a digital fashion platform curated by retail insiders and top stylists.
“This can look incredibly chic, especially when done on printed fabrics, or if the motifs are smaller and more subtle and applied on luxe fabrics like silk. That way you can also layer the piece with something more toned down for an elegant look.”


Animal-print clothing has come a long way from the 1980s, when it was considered tacky and – dare we say it – vulgar. Since then, high-profile designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli have made it their signature, with different permutations appearing each season.
Today it forms an essential part of every stylish woman’s wardrobe. Fashion insiders extol its versatility; former J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons once declared leopard [print] a neutral, while former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld is often seen wearing an animal print item.
Celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Cardi B and Priyanka Chopra have recently been spotted on the red carpet in animal-print ensembles.


“Animal prints are no longer a novelty but re-created season on season in different varieties by so many designers,” says Elizabeth von der Goltz, chief commercial officer at online luxury retailer Matchesfashion. “Leopard is now what I call a classic. It is always in no matter what. Personally, I add leopard into my day-to-day basic wardrobe to add a pop to any look.”
While animal prints are considered a staple, they can often be intimidating to wear. Puerta says there are no steadfast rules to follow, although she has a few tips for women wanting to rock the look.
“There’s a misconception that animal prints are just for maximalists, but the trick is to own the look and feel confident wearing it. If you are doing the whole head-to-toe look, make sure your accessories are on the minimalistic side,” she says.

“It’s also fun to experiment with colours – in fact, I prefer coloured [animal prints] to neutral tones. Choose pink or red, or if you prefer darker colours, match it with colour block separates such as pink trousers or even red shoes. Colourways take your look up a notch and have a high fashion vibe,” she says.
For the uninitiated, it’s best to experiment with one animal print item first, be it a piece of ready-to-wear such as a blouse or more subtle accessories like belts or eyewear.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that animal prints are just for special occasions – they can also work in more conservative settings such as the workplace. It’s an easy look to pull off when styled correctly.

“In this scenario, I suggest women use animal print more as an accent than as a focal point,” says Goltz. “Try an animal print blouse under a solid suit or blazer, or an elegant animal print shoe or handbag with a black dress.
“If it’s a more statement animal print piece like a coat or jacket, wear it with a tonal neutral look underneath.”
All that’s left is to choose a print that suits you.

While leopard is a perennial favourite, there are plenty of other options floating around including zebra, cheetah, snake, giraffe and, of course, tiger. Goltz, however, has a final word of warning before you unleash your inner beast.
“Sometimes, more is more looks great, but I wouldn’t recommend wearing or clashing different types of animal prints all together.”


Maggie Hewitt’s style picks: the founder of Maggie Marilyn loves her Cartier Tank, The Ordinary skincare and Westman Atelier make-up, and Jane Birkin and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

Meet Matteo Milleri, who was married to Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti: the DJ known as Anyma creates NFTs and is dating one of Elon Musk’s baby mamas … but which one?

Cartier blends high jewellery, ancient Chinese artworks and AI in its ‘Power of Magic’ exhibition at Shanghai Museum East – with actresses Mélanie Laurent and Gong Li in attendance

Style Edit: Why Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections, chose Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell in Barcelona for the maison’s cruise 2025 show

Fashion

It’s the year of the tiger print for luxury fashion brands, from Gucci to Burberry – so how can you make the look work for you?

A tiger stripe look from Salvatore Ferragamo’s spring/summer 2022 collection. The luxury brand is one of many to embrace animal prints this year.

A Year of the Tiger shirt by Saint Laurent.

Models show Saint Laurent’s Year of the Tiger collection.

A bag for the Year of the Tiger by Burberry.

A look from Proenza Schouler’s spring/summer 2022 collection.

Cardi B in animal print at the 2021 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images

Sharon Stone wearing animal print at the premiere of The Tragedy Of Macbeth in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images

Boots by Isabel Marant at Matchesfashion.

How to wear animal prints according to the fashion platform The Floorr.

A Balenciaga skirt for the Year of the Tiger.

Hermès and Chanel limit bag purchases to keep them exclusive and stoke desire for their products

A Paris fashion week guest carries an Hermès bag. Like that luxury house, Chanel has begun limiting customer purchases to maintain exclusivity and drive demand. Photo: Getty Images

The Kelly bag from Hermès is one of the luxury brand’s icons. Photo: @gloss_vintage/Instagram

A model carries a Chanel Classic Flap leather bag. Photography: Inez and Vinoodh

Customers line up to enter an Hermès store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Getty Images

The Chanel Classic Flap comes in several colours, but customers can no longer buy the same bag in different colours in the same year. 

Customers line up to enter a Chanel store in Shanghai, China. Photo: Getty Images

Customers are limited to a single purchase of each Chanel bag style, including the Classic Flap (pictured) per year.. 

POST EDIT: Dior Men autumn 2022 collection pays homage to classic novel On the Road with ‘a hymn to counterculture’

Kim Jones’ Dior Men autumn 2022 collection pays homage to Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel On the Road.

The Dior Men autumn 2022 show featured a runway displaying text from On The Road by Jack Kerouac.

The Dior Men collection features retro touches such as Fair Isle jumpers and distressed denim. Photo: Yannis Vlamos

A look from the Dior Men autumn 2022 collection. Photo: Yannis Vlamos

Five women in fashion and beauty that we loved in 2021, from a Gucci legend to a Meghan-endorsed designer

Susanna Lau, aka Susie Bubble, and designer Grace Wales Bonner (two) are just two of five women in fashion that we loved in 2021.

Crystal Ung founded Ren to make jade jewellery with contemporary appeal.

British designer Grace Wales Bonner was praised by Delphine Arnault of Louis Vuitton as having “great potential”.

Debbie Kung discovered Chinese medicine while working with fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Mimi Tang joined Gucci in 1998 and became its Asia-Pacific head. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Susanna Lau recently opened a bubble tea cafe in London with a friend from Hong Kong.

Thai fashion designer makes animal embroidery cool  and fosters LGBT acceptance – ‘most of our customers are gay’

Thai fashion designer Santichai Srisongkram wears his label’s “Thaiger-Man” jacket at a retro outdoor market in Bangkok, Thailand. He has had orders for customised versions of the jacket from as far away as Colombia. Photo: Photo: Tibor Krausz

Narongchai Nateewanaphun wears a denim jacket with a roaring tiger embroidered on the back

Thai woman wears Santichai's "Thaiger-Man" jacket at an outdoor market in Bangkok where a vintage WWII-era US military plane is mounted atop a shop

Thai fashion designer Santichai Srisongkram wears his "Thaiger-Man" jacket at a retro outdoor market in Bangkok where a vintage WWII-era US military plane is mounted atop a shop

Year of the Tiger 2022: Complete visual guide | SCMP Infographics

Lifestyle

Fashion & Beauty


To celebrate Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger, luxury brands have embraced animal prints, which are all over their spring/summer 2022 collections
Stars such as Cardi B and Priyanka Chopra have recently been spotted in animal print – so how can you make it work for you? Experts offer their tips



Gucci and Saint Laurent have embraced tiger prints, as have Balenciaga and Burberry – but how can you make the look work for you? Experts weigh in with their tips.


Burberry

Gucci

Lunar New Year

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