Celebrate Lunar New Year with These AAPI Artists and Brands

While the Lunar New Year begins with a new moon (invisible to the naked eye), these gibbous earrings provide more moon to love. If you usually opt for studs, these 5 cm sterling silver beauties are a great transition piece into more statement-making jewelry. The delicate hammered sterling silver is lightweight and perfect for adding a bit of sparkle to your look. Wear them with a red outfit on Lunar New Year for good luck and if you prefer gold, there’s a filled version for you.

For the perfect lounging-with-intention wardrobe, look to FIND ME NOW’s Second Skin collection. The cloud fabric reminds me of ‘90s crinkle shirts and is unbelievably soft. The style is a hybrid of intimate wear, thermal layers, and regular clothing, so your imagination is the only limitation on incorporating it into your wardrobe. Pick from dresses, turtlenecks, and this backless tee that can be worn in two ways. Reverse it so the backless part is in front and pair it with a bandeau-style bra to expose a sliver of rib cage. All of FIND ME NOW’s materials are ethically sourced and produced at small-scale, self-funded, women-owned factories based in Ningbo and Shanghai.

To complement your relaxation attire, you’ll want some outing-friendly looks for the nights you feel recharged and sociable. Founder Choyi Yi’s brand is an enticing combination of modern, original, and affordable. The collection incorporates trends like argyle, corduroys, and utility skirts without feeling fast fashion or disposable. As a fan of winter whites and pockets, I’ve fallen for these ivory cargos that check all the boxes. While they’re high-waisted (and drawstring) for comfort, the fabric is non-stretch and stiff to maintain the structured silhouette that keeps them looking casual-chic (rather than sloppy). Pair these with the slouchy Aubree top that comes with detachable arm warmers.

You won’t look at a butter dish the same way after seeing artist Michelle Im’s incredible creations. She’ll make you a custom dish like the tiger-and-pear-themed one pictured above, and you can check out other designs on the listing page (I love the French country-esque rooster design). If you want to run with the Lunar New Year theme, commission a rabbit dish for what will certainly be a conversation starter amongst your dinner guests. Next time you’re slathering butter on a slice of toast you’ll start to wonder if it would taste better coming from one of these whimsical ceramic pieces. For those in the market for something more decorative than functional, check out Im’s Lucky Winner Kitty Vase.

I love going to the Asian market and completely judging snacks by their packaging, but after a few swings-and-misses I start to wish for a snack concierge. Bokksu provides this exact service in the form of snack bundles delivered to your front door. The curated Lunar New Year bundle includes a range of both sweet and savory Chinese and Taiwanese snacks. If hosting means ordering Seamless, you can zhuzh up your get-together with some of these festive treats from across the world.

Whether you need a fun book club read or a gift for a bookworm, this matchmaking story is sure to please. Lunar Love is the name of Olivia Huang Christenson’s family business that uses Zodiac animals to assess romantic compatibility for its clients. But in the age of dating apps and endless swiping, the business Olivia inherits is accompanied by a very unclear future. Despite her expertise in matchmaking, Olivia’s own love life is an afterthought until she meets a man who both irritates and intrigues her. When she finds out he’s the founder of a dating app whose gimmick is matching users based on zodiac symbols, her feelings become even more confused. The mixed-race main character will particularly resonate with readers who have also felt out of place or caught between cultures.

I find that New Year’s is always a good time to do an underwear cleanse and get rid of intimates that have been languishing, untouched in my top drawer for the better part of the year. If you have a surplus of bras that gap and fit terribly (like I do), consider replacing them with Pepper whose excellent-fitting, small chest-friendly bras we’ve covered glowingly before. This mesh bra comes in cup sizes AA–B and five neutral colors, including Sienna Rose and Cocoa. TQE Editor Tatiana Ettensberger describes the feeling of wearing the All You bra: “It felt kind of like I had boobs for the first time ever, not because it was a mega push-up bra, but because it actually fit and supported me with an authentic lift.”

In keeping with the theme of not settling for a “good enough” fit, it’s time to also get rid of sunglasses that slide down your face and require constant readjustment. COVRY has distinguished itself from one-size-fits-all eyewear brands with frames that sit higher on your nose and away from your cheekbones. Typically I’m constrained to buying metal frames (because they always come with nose pads), but with COVRY I finally got to wear a pair of non-metal frames that don’t slip. I love the Vega’s somewhere-between-circle-and-oval shape that’s extremely light weight. You can order them non-polarized or pay a bit more ($40) to get a polarized pair. COVRY has a great home try-on experience where you pay $10 to try five frames for five days and the small deposit gets credited toward your purchase if you end up keeping any of the glasses.

Little ones want to be part of the celebration, too. These tweed sneakers give them a sweet chance to rep the year of the bunny in adorable pastel colors. Tiny pearl-like, bunny-shaped beads adorn the body of the sneaker for a subtle nod to the zodiac animal. While they may appear feminine, these sneakers are ready for serious activity on the playground with a breathable lining and easy-on pull tab. Moms who want to match with their daughters can check out the bunny-adorned Mary Jane ($56) in adult sizes.

Psychodermatology skincare brand selfmade was developed with BIPOC mental health professionals to seamlessly connect ritual with emotional intelligence. The brand’s Intentional-Habits-first mission is front and center with this deeply-hydrating Corrective Experience cream for face and body. Texture is everything with this product: it begins jelly-like then transforms into a hydro-gel for an ultra-nourishing experience. The cream was designed with mental well-being in mind and includes Cortinhib G™, which is responsible for helping to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Other key ingredients are 5 blend brown marine algaes (to restore compromised skin barrier), squalane (to maintain skin barrier integrity), and hyaluronic acid (to hydrate skin on a cellular level). The cloud-like feel of this cream makes it the perfect occlusive for slugging — especially if you don’t like the heavy feeling of petroleum jelly.