French luxury fashion house Givenchy has teamed up with Wallpaper Store to release a 2024/Year of the Dragon edition of Huangli (黄历, lit. “Yellow Calendar”) almanac. The almanac features traditional art and bookbinding techniques and can be won by Givenchy WeChat account subscribers.
The Huangli, also called Wong Lik or Tung Shing in Cantonese-speaking regions, is a type of divination guide and almanac based on the Chinese lunar calendar. The name comes from the “Yellow Emperor”, a mythical sovereign in ancient China who was thought to have authored the almanac.
Givenchy and Wallpaper’s version, called “Long Lin” (龙鳞, lit. dragon scale), is inspired by a traditional binding style called “Dragon Scale Binding” (龙鳞装), an intangible cultural heritage. Book artist Zhang Xiaodong created the binding where pages from a scroll-like book can make up completed images when lined up. The scroll will curl up like a dragon with pages resembling scales. For the inside of the almanac, printmaking artist Liu Yichun used traditional ink and wood printmaking to create a print of 13 dragons on the pages. 12 shades of yellow were used to create the movement effect of the dragons and complement the “Yellow Calendar” theme.
Similarly, in 2021 Wallpaper collaborated with Loewe for the Year of the Ox with a three-part documentary. Incidentally, the theme of the videos focused on traditional crafts and craftspeople.
Not only does the calendar fit the season, but the choice of the bookbinding technique also coincides with this year’s Chinese Zodiac. However, by focusing on tradition and heritage during the New Year, Wallpaper and Givenchy go deep by tapping into the cultural and historical interests of Chinese consumers.
