Brooks Brothers Celebrates Year of the Rabbit

Michael Bastian is already thinking about how to create slightly nerdy versions of a dragon and a snake, the symbols of Lunar New Year for the next two years. But with its floppy ear and black-rimmed glasses, Bastian definitely nailed the bunny, which made its appearance on a variety of sweaters, sweatshirts and shirts to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit.

Brooks Brothers has been creating Lunar New Year collections for a while, but this year the retailer teamed with Gold House, a leading change-making organization for Asians and Pacific Islanders, for the first time. For every product sold, the company is donating $5 to the organization.

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On Tuesday night, the retailer hosted more than 150 guests, including influential AAPI leaders, to a Lunar New Year celebration in its Hudson Yards store. The attendees were served Asian-themed hors d’oeuvres from celebrity chef Jordan Andino and special Gold House edition cupcakes with Sprinkles.

Ken Ohashi, chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers , said China is still the second largest market for the company outside of the U.S. and it’s “coming back slowly. But we’re confident that it’ll continue to come back.”

He said partnering with Gold House allows Brooks Brothers to expand its reach with Asian communities both in the U.S. and around the world.

Bing Chen, CEO of Gold House, said although this is his company’s first collaboration with Brooks Brothers, he’s hoping it won’t be the last. “Brooks Brothers is America’s oldest retail institution so to engage with them is really exciting,” he said. The goal of Gold House is to promote Asian Pacific culture and champion the new generation of CEOs, including Ohashi, who can communicate the cultural success of the community.

The Year of the Rabbit collection is sold in China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as in the U.S. and Canada.

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