Lucky Monkey
MANILA, Philippines – Celebrate the year of the monkey with a contemporary punch and an oriental touch, with an H&M collection of over 30 pieces in strong palettes of red. The campaign is fronted by Korean superstar Siwon Choi and supermodel Liu Wen. The two are co-stars in Chinese TV series We Are In Love. The collection offers the perfect outfit for men and women, it mixing contemporary style with traditional details — from the sequined tops, monkey-printed sweaters, to burgundy pieces. The range empowers women to be dressed in their own individual style this season. The men’s collection pays tribute to the year of the monkey with different variations of monkey prints, be it on a T-shirt and sweater for daily wear, or on a dress shirt for an alternative style.
YSTYLE: You’ve shot other campaigns for H&M, was this any more special than the rest? What was different this time around?
LIU WEN: This is the first time I front a campaign on the Spring Festival. Many people around the world know that Spring Festival is such an important festivity for our culture. Fronting the Chinese New Year campaign will allow more people to know how happy Spring Festival really is to us; how we worked the whole year just to wait for this day to come to spend with our family.
What do you typically wear for the New Year festivities?
When I was a child, my mom would dress me in new clothes, new socks and new shoes. As of now, I still follow this tradition, to dress all new in Chinese New Year.
Do you have any unique traditions to prepare for the New Year celebration? For me, Chinese New Year is a tribute to the traditional aesthetics, where we wear new clothes, collect red packets, eat candies and spend time with our loved ones. I like to wear red for Chinese New Year; it is naturally a happy color and is symbolic of luck and prosperity.
Where are you planning on celebrating the New Year this year?
I would like to spend time at home in Yongzhou, Hunan.
What was your favorite moment from shooting the campaign?
SIWON: I always have fun working with Liu Wen and we are good friends. Liu Wen and I have had fantastic chemistry since our reality TV show, and we have brought the chemistry to this year’s H&M Chinese New Year campaign shoot. We had so much fun shooting we were even taking selfies off-camera with a selfie stick, as though we wanted to even more photo shoots off set!
Where are you planning to celebrate the New Year?
I should be in the military already. I wish everyone health, happiness and prosperity.
Do you have any unique traditions to celebrate the New Year?
It is our tradition to exchange gifts during our Lunar New Year, and one week prior, everyone will be busy shopping to buy gifts for our loved ones. Popular gift sets include meat, fish, fruit, ginseng and more. For me, spending time with my loved ones would be the most ideal gift to receive.
What is your favorite piece from the collection?
From H&M’s 2016 Chinese New Year collection, my favorite item would have to be the monkey printed sweater. It is modern, fun and playful, which is the most suitable for this joyful festivity of the Year of The Monkey!
