Red is the new black this Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year sees cities and towns in Asia be painted red. Literally. Red lanterns, mandarin orange plants in red vases donning little red angpows and if you are lucky maybe you’ll see red horses.

In Jalan Bukit Bintang, you will also see girls and women wearing red pants or skirts or even dresses, some with even beet-root hair – all to welcome the auspicious year of the horse in the most fashionable way possible.

The fashion week around the globe started early this year - Paris commenced the fashion frenzy with their Houte Couture Fashion Week a week before the Chinese New Year, followed by other fashion weeks in your favourite fashion cities around the globe beginning first week of February.

However, the participation and celebration of the Chinese population, who rank among the greatest markets and manufacturers, was limited in the western part of the world.

According to Kenny Hoo, Malaysia’s Good Feng Shui Master, the spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's culture, making unrelenting efforts to improve, to strive for the better. Like a horse -energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. But you don’t see horses or the bursting red hues in any of the runways.

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2014- Atelier Versace spring/summer 2014

Photo: AFP/AP

If you look closely, you will find that there are international luxury brands that take up the unrelentless spirit of the horse and roll it out on to their collection. Meaning, Malaysians now can invest on that limited edition festive season branded items.

CH Carolina Herrera rejoices 2014 Chinese New Year by embossing its iconic Matryoshka unstructured handbag with red and gold scribbles of a horse - very apt for the upcoming spring or in Malaysia, the sunny season.

Chopard, the luxury watchmaker created a timepiece with an elegant horse made of gold foil and mother of pearl with black alligator leather strap.

Swedish global retailer, H&M grabbed this opportunity by running a Chinese New Year campaign as to lasso their Asian markets, namely Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and China with unique collection for both clothing and accessories.

National holidays do make a global difference in business especially in fashion and retail with Asia feeling the most impact. China being the biggest importer, the entire raw material sectors in the region depend on its industrial demand. Festive period shuts down the country's production system for a few crucial days and trade flows are impeded. Private consumption grows.

In Malaysia, by next week, forget about altering your red skinny jeans for Chinese New Year open house (if you don’t already fix it now). Do not even dream of enticing your cravings for that fried char kuew teow. Chances are slim to none that no shops or restaurants would be in operation.

The outcome really depends and may vary for different industries across the globe. It could be an inconvenience or a big break.

Hence, more so now, countries that do not officially celebrate this lunar New Year begin to hop on this joyous celebration, reason being: to adjust their economic indicators to budget this impact.

Fashion week or not, RED is definitely the new black during this auspicious season of Chinese New Year.