Paw-fect looks for the new year

EARN your style stripes this Chinese New Year through a range of tiger-inspired fashion. Luxury brands from Louis Vuitton to Burberry have launched tiger-themed collections that pay homage to the magnificent creature, betting that consumers would bite for reasons beyond this being its zodiac year.

The tiger, after all, is a perennial symbol of power and dominion, and it doesn't hurt that its tawny colour broken by thin black stripes looks good in a fashion sketch.

We check out some of the paw-fect creations by luxury houses.

Gucci

Creative director Alessandro Michele is an ardent nature lover, and Gucci's new print reinterprets a 1960s archival design by Vittorio Accornero - the illustrator who created the house's signature flora design - by featuring a tiger against a backdrop of greenery and flowers.The print appears on shirts, dresses (above, with Rebecca Lim and Cynthia Koh), denim and other outerwear items, as well as shoes, bags, hats and silk accessories.

Paul Smith

The British designer always knows how to combine whimsy and elegance in his designs. For his Chinese New Year collection, he pays homage to the qualities of the zodiac tiger, such as "bravery, determination and confidence". A cotton jersey jumper for men (above), for instance, is tastefully embroidered with the big cat across the front and back; it's a piece you can wear in just about any year.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton's Precious Tiger capsule collection offers textiles, accessories, jewellery and home items with the tiger theme. They include a shawl (above), scarf, square and bandeau with the creature feature, as well as a bracelet, necklace, bag charm and key holder. And, in case you're feeling playful, there's even a 529-piece jigsaw puzzle of a tiger resting on Louis Vuitton's iconic monogram luggage.

Salvatore Ferragamo

The Italian luxury house commissioned Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu to create a tiger print inspired by traditional paintings. The result is a colourful illustration of a tiger playing with other animals such as a deer, monkey, eagle and crane in a Chinese garden. The image has been incorporated into Ferragamo's new Tiger In Wonderland collection, which includes a studio box bag (above) and silk foulard.

Burberry

Not to be outdone, Burberry has redesigned its signature monogram in beige and orange, giving a fierce feline flavour to its jackets, shirts, dresses and knitwear (above). A tiger stripe print in an orange hue is also deployed on Burberry's signature Lola and Olympia bags, as well as on cashmere scarves, sneakers and on linings. The brand wants to underline the "tiger's strong and confident spirit" - and succeeds.

Valentino

Italian label Valentino dug into its archives and pulled out a sleek range of tiger prints from its fall/winter 1967-68 haute couture collection. The tasteful motif has been adapted for its ready-to-wear items and accessories (above), including the classic Valentino Garavani Roman Stud bag and the new Valentino Garavani Loco bag.

Moschino

Love your Frosted Flakes? So does Jeremy Scott, the creative director of fun-loving fashion house Moschino. He's taken Tony the Tiger, the mascot of the breakfast cereal, and emblazoned it across everything from T-shirts (above) and hoodies to cute accessories, such as a clutch bag that looks like a cereal box. And in case you still don't get it, the ad campaign features models dunked in giant flakes.