9 Year of the Tiger Gifts for Cat Lovers
Limited-edition Lunar New Year styles inspired by cats...ok big cats.
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Watching your cat stalk their way across the living room (on the hunt for a catnip-stuffed toy) it’s both easy and hard to see the link between our companions and the wild cats of the world. But even with this gulf, we can embrace the tiny tigers in our lives and celebrate their much, much larger cousins. And it just so happens that this is the Year of the Tiger. Today, February 1st, marks the Lunar New Year, and so a new animal in the Chinese zodiac steps to the forefront.
Lunar New Year is celebrated widely throughout East Asia and the Asian diaspora and has become a hot new holiday for designer capsule collections and limited-edition products and packaging. Given that the tiger is arguably more gorgeous an animal than the ox or the rat of the past two years (stripesopens in a new tab!), it seems more collections than ever before are dropping. As we roll into the year of our second-favorite cat, here are nine products to celebrate, from a Maharishi embroidered tour jacket to Nike Air Force 1s with a stripey swoosh to Marni’s artist-printed accessories. There’s even something for your pet.
Nike has been releasing limited-edition kicks for the Lunar New Year for more than two decades, so it’s no surprise that the footwear brand had something up its sleeve for the Year of the Tiger: A stripe-swooshed low-top AF1, a faux-fur Nike Air Max 1 Golf, a trio of Jordans, and more all just dropped.
UK streetwear brand Maharishi’s limited Year of the Water Tiger capsule collectionopens in a new tab covers an astonishing number of thematically appropriate pieces of clothing. These range from low key offerings, like a camo scarfopens in a new tab or simple T-shirtopens in a new tab, all the way up to a truly absurd (in a wonderful way) carpetopens in a new tab. Me, I’m all about the embroidered tour jacketopens in a new tab.
Keeping on the fashion train, Marni’s Lunar New Year collection carries a very different vibeopens in a new tab. Rather than the fierce tiger we see on so many of these designs, Marni partnered with Venezuelan artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkessopens in a new tab, and the resulting tiger design is delightfully peculiar.
MAC Cosmetics has leaned into the classic red-and-gold color combination with a limited-edition makeup set focusing on reds and metallicsopens in a new tab, with a stunning piece of custom tiger art. The lineup includes lipstick, eyeshadow, two brushes, and a gold powder highlighter.
Just because it’s the Year of the Tiger doesn’t mean your favorite pooch can’t get involved. Pet Project LA has an adorable dog hoodie festooned with festive tigersopens in a new tab, suitable for dogs with chests ranging from 12 to 24 inches in circumference. There’s even a onesie versionopens in a new tab, if you want those back legs covered, too. Overkill to dress your cat in cats?
The “Big Cat, Big Luck” shirt from Subtly Asian Shopopens in a new tab features a cat somehow both menacing and cute. A pop-design on a black tee, it goes with just about any look, and you could easily style it for streetwear, especially if you go oversize. Plus, since it’s black, just maybe it won’t show off all the actual cat hairs that fill your life. If a T-shirt isn’t your thing, the same design is also available as a tote bagopens in a new tab, or a hoodieopens in a new tab.
I’m personally a huge tea nerd, so I’m absolutely over the (new) moon for this gift set from The Tea Republicopens in a new tab. It includes nine tea pyramids (an upgraded version of your normal tea bag which gives leaves more room to circulate), including a mix of herbal teas and oolong. If you want to go a bit bigger, there’s also a version with 25 tea pyramidsopens in a new tab, and a more luxe box.
If you really want to go all in on chasing the drip, Gucci has an entire Year of the Tiger collectionopens in a new tab. They are priced like Gucci usually is, though, so don’t go in hunting a bargain. That sweater? It’ll set you back a cool $2,200. And the embroidered archival sneakersopens in a new tab $750. At least the phone case is only…$370?opens in a new tab Gucci is going to do what Guccie is going to do, I guess.
But truly the best gift you can give to ring in the Year of the Tiger? Help support the animals themselves. San Francisco Zoo will allow you to directly support the care of their Sumatran Tigers.opens in a new tab Or you could consider giving to a charity like National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiativeopens in a new tab or Pantheraopens in a new tab.
Tim Barribeau
Tim Barribeau is a freelance writer, editor, cat dad, and “help your boyfriend buy a suit that actually fits for once” consultant. He was previously the Style and Pets editor at Wirecutter, and has bylines at a bunch of publications that don't exist anymore (and a couple that still do).