ABOUT

Most commonly associated with China, Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world. It marks the start of a new lunar cycle & is one of the most important holidays in Asia. To celebrate this special occasion, Fortnum & Mason wanted to launch a Lunar New Year range - biscuits, teas, Champagne, & sparkling tea, all destined for gifting at this auspicious time of year. And, given our long-established history of creative collaboration with Fortnum & Mason, they asked us to design the 2023 range, celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.

Taking inspiration from the eponymous animal’s characteristics – gentle, elegant, alert and swift – our pack designs incorporate a delicate paper-cut style; a centuries-old folk art-form traditionally used to express good wishes at festivals and celebrations, and considered to symbolize luck and happiness. The illustrations depict four key moments in the rabbit's story in Chinese folklore (where it was among the 12 animals who raced to the Jade Emperor, determining the order of the Chinese zodiac signs), including arriving at the race, falling asleep, climbing onto a log after falling in, and the final victory…

Not only do our illustrations pay homage to the traditional vernacular of the Lunar New Year, but they enabled us to embed discoverable Fortnum & Mason elements such as the iconic teacups, weaving the brands’ globally recognised eau de Nil blue in with the striking red, a colour synonymous with luck in Chinese culture. This led to a sympathetic, seasonally relevant blend of brand and occasion, marking a refreshing new chapter in this annual seasonal edition.