January 7, 2020 |
The Chinese New Year always commences on the new moon that appears between 21st January and 20th February. Starting a new decade, 2020’s Chinese New Year year will fall on Saturday, January 25th, and is bringing in the Year of the Rat (the first in the 12-year cycle of animals that make up the Chinese zodiac). To celebrate in style, Moschino has released a capsule collection aptly featuring none other than Robert Armstrong’s cheeky comic book character Mickey Rat.
A parody of Mickey Mouse, Mickey Rat made his first cartoon appearance in L.A. Comics #1 in 1971, with a storyline written by Chester C. Crill. Opportunistic and hella sleazy, the mischievous Mickey Rat was always up to no good, which has solidified his status as a cult cartoon character. The crude character appears emblazoned across every piece apart from a red sequinned pleated tennis skirt. Mickey Rat smirks across a range of athletic silhouettes including varsity jumpers and cardigans, t-shirts, hoodies et al, as well as rucksacks, purses and iPhone cases – Jeremy Scott has you sorted for whatever naughty thing you might be up to next.
The collection is brought to life in a campaign by Shxpir Huang, a Chinese photographer and director based in New York, and with creative direction by Jeremy Scott and stylist Mia Kong, who appears in the lookbook alongside model Jun Kai Qui and Wan Chi Ming Lion Dance Team. In the day-to-night-themed imagery, you can spot the avant-guard allusions to Chinese New Year traditions and customs including lion dancers, red envelopes, mahjong, peach blossom and red envelopes. Here’s to entering the Year of the Rat – Moschino style!
The Moschino Chinese New Year Mickey Rat capsule collection is available globally from January 7th.
