Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, falls on Saturday, 14 August this year. If you’re unfamiliar with the occasion, the day celebrates the tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl – the story goes that they fell deeply in love, but the Emperor of Heaven didn’t approve of their love and The Milky Way was created to separate them.

Moved by their love, a flock of magpie gathered over The Milky Way to build a bridge for the couple to meet. The Emperor was so touched that he decreed that the star-crossed lovers would be allowed to meet once a year. Now, that day is celebrated by couples and brands alike.

In recent years, more and more luxury brands have been getting in on the action and have been dropping themed collections for Chinese Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re looking to rock matching outfits with your S/O or just want to get into the spirit of the day, here are our favourite Qixi Festival releases in 2021. 

Fall/Winter 2021 Dioramour capsule collection

While the collection wasn’t specifically created with Chinese Valentine’s Day in mind, its timely drop and heart motif just have so much potential as gifts for your other half. Checkerboard meets the Queen of Hearts in this fairytale-inspired collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri. With its bags, clothes and jewellery, you’re spoiled for choice. The iconic Lady Dior bag gets a stunning new look, now decked out in patent red and embroidered with hearts. The necklaces and bracelets offer a more subtle nod to the festival and seem to fit right in any collection as the newest everyday necklace. 

See also: #legendloves: The Dioramour collection and pop-up store

Louis Vuitton Fall In Love Collection

Have you ever heard a more fitting name for a Valentine’s Day collection than the Fall In Love collection? Designer Nicolas Ghesquière created completely exclusive items for this limited edition collection, like special packaging for their Heures d’Absence, Sun Song and Cœur Battant fragrances. The new graphics are also featured on casual tees and dresses. The standout of the collection has to be the Vinyle Earrings. One side of the disk-shaped earring is printed with a retro vinyl and on the other side is the seal of Louis Vuitton in red. 

Learn more at louisvuitton.com

Gucci’s Chinese Valentine’s Day Gifts

In honour of Qixi Festival, Gucci fuses their Les Pommes motif with red love hearts for a collection that straddles the line between cute and kitschy oh so perfectly. Dive into the collection’s denim offerings, each piece is stamped with the small but significant Gucci apple. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that the red and white pattern inside each apple is actually lots of tiny white hearts printed on a red background – the perfect pop of colour and pattern to elevate any outfit. For a louder, more defined statement, don the heart cardigan. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve.

Learn more at gucci.com

Qeelin Yu Yi Love Locks

If you’re looking for a fitting gift that incorporates Chinese culture symbols, look no further than the Qeelin Yu Yi Love Locks. The new necklace and bracelet are the latest addition to the Yu Yi red agate collection. Founder of Qeelin, Dennis Chan, explained that the Yu Yi lock could be a symbol of locking in your commitment to another person. Legend has it that the Chinese God of Love would use red thread to bind soulmates to each other, making the red stone all the more appropriate for the Qixi Festival. 

See also: Locks of love: Qeelin’s Yu Yi collection

Prada Qixi

You’d be hard-pressed to find a collection that’s cuter than Prada’s Qixi Collection. The most noteworthy pieces of the collection are the bags, many of which are Prada bestsellers that have gotten a Qixi makeover. As a Chinese Valentine’s Day exclusive, the Prada Odette bag is now available in the shape of a heart and in three colours – rose petal, fire red or black. For men, there is a special edition of the Saffiano leather Brique bag in a red and black combo with a brand new tag designed to store love messages.

Learn more at prada.com

Valentino Amore 2021

Valentino keeps it classic with their Qixi Festival series. Dominated by reds and whites, the series sticks to the most classic symbol of love – red hearts. Upgrade your kicks game with the One Stud Calfskin Low-Top Sneakers. The red lines on the white base make for an ultra clean shoe and the big red hearts on the heel are a nice nod to the holiday. Pair the sneakers with the Embroidered Crepe Couture Dress for a colour-coordinated look. Though not for the faint of heart, the embroidered red hearts and collar are undeniably on theme for any Valentine’s Day date.

Learn more at valentino.com

Miu Miu Personal Obsessions Edit

In honour of the Qixi Festival, Miu Miu brings together a specially-curated edit. Full of florals and baby pinks, the edit is decidedly feminine and preppy. Highlights include the Matelassé shoulder bag in black and fabric mini-bag in baby pink. A black leather bag perfectly balances out a pink outfit and brings some edge to an otherwise soft collection. Miu Miu also presents some bling with necklaces, bracelets and even a hair clip. Silver and sparkly, the accessories in the collection are a far cry from the other jewellery on this list. Nonetheless, the pieces are versatile and wear even long after the Qixi Festival is over.

Learn more at miumiu.com

See also: #legendloves: The Dioramour collection and pop-up store