Unveiled in collaboration with Shanghai Fashion Week, the second chapter of H&M’s Chinese Designer Collaboration Project spotlights Jacques Wei, merging his refined, intellectual design language with the symbolic power of Chinese New Year 2026. Inspired by the Year of the Horse, the collection navigates the space between poetic expression and functional elegance, translating cultural iconography into a contemporary wardrobe tailored for modern urban life. Launching online on January 21 via HM.COM.CN and H&M’s Tmall flagship, followed by a January 22 in-store release across selected locations in Mainland China, the project underscores H&M’s continued commitment to China’s independent fashion ecosystem.

At its core, the collection reflects Wei’s disciplined approach to color and construction. An Eastern-leaning palette of bright red, dark camel brown, agate grey, and moonlight blue establishes a sense of ceremony refined by restraint. Within this controlled chromatic range, fluid horse motifs appear in animated linework, introducing motion and symbolic vitality without overpowering the garments. Tailoring remains rational and precise, quietly supporting a more emotive narrative beneath the surface.

Silhouettes evolve from familiar foundations, subtly reworked through proportion, texture, and detail. Lustrous halter tops and maxi slip dresses fall with a softened drape, refined by delicate ties and metallic horse-shaped buckles that add a graphic edge. Fringe-trimmed slit skirts echo the movement of a horse’s mane, translating energy into tactile motion, while cropped jackets and sharply cut blazers assert structure through defined shoulders, clean lines, and sculptural metallic hardware. Animal prints, a signature of the JACQUES WEI aesthetic, recur throughout, layered with beading and metallic accents that heighten contrast while maintaining composure.

Accessories extend the collection’s architectural clarity into sculptural statements. Jewelry reimagines the horse motif through sleek, linear forms, appearing as necklaces, brooches, and openwork bracelets that balance ornament with purpose. A saddle-shaped shoulder bag anchors the offering with molded structure and softened curves, while a chain belt adorned with symbolic charms referencing the horse, sun, and swallow draws from the traditional “Galloping Horse and Flying Swallow” motif, reinforcing cultural continuity through modern design.

Conceptually, the collaboration succeeds in articulating a dialogue between Eastern symbolism and contemporary fashion without slipping into literal interpretation. While H&M’s production scale inevitably streamlines some of the intricacy present in Wei’s independent work, the collection’s strength lies in its coherence and clarity of vision. Polished, symbolic, and thoughtfully composed, Jacques Wei x H&M for Chinese New Year 2026 captures the spirit of the horse through movement, structure, and a refined sense of modern elegance.