My 3-year-old daughter will be the first to remind any one that Mickey is a mouse—-not a rat. As such, he should never be confused with Remy, the rat from Ratatouille (despite the fact that the people who made Remy—-Disney PIXAR–are the same ones who breathe life into his popular bi-coastal rodent cousin).
My daughter’s rodent lecture came about when I shared with her the news that Mickey and Minnie Mouse just got “new, fancy clothes for Chinese New Year.” I should have just stopped there. But I made the mistake of adding that according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 is the Year of the Rat. (I couldn’t resist since my mother and I were both born in rat years.) I’ll spare you the details of the ensuing 15-minute conversation that tried to clarify how rats, the new year, and Mickey Mouse fit together.
In any event, it’s true; Mickey and Minnie are now the proud owners of high fashion ensembles just in time for the Chinese New Year. Thanks to popular Chinese-born American fashion designer Vivienne Tam the famous mouse couple are strutting around Hong Kong Disneyland in festive duds.
According to insiders, the special outfits are an effort to boost the park’s appeal to Chinese tourists after a dismal second year.
And it may be working. Yesterday thousands turned out to watch Disney’s two iconic characters sashay down a red carpet – Mickey in a bright red Mao suit (named after the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong) and Minnie in a cherry blossom red dress with a bouquet-like bottom.
For non-rodents Tam designed nine red and black dresses featuring Mickey Mouse patterns, which she also unveiled yesterday. The Disney inspired dresses are scheduled to go on sale at Tam boutiques worldwide in April.
Tam, a Hong Kong native, told reporters she was honored to design Mickey and Minnie’s new wardrobe, as she has been a Disney fan since she was a little girl.
In addition to Tam’s New Year’s contributions to its rodent hosts, Hong Kong Disneyland itself has been decorated with red firecrackers, red Chinese-language scrolls bearing good luck messages and orange tangerines, according to Chinese New Year custom. The park will also stage a dragon dance on February 7th, the first day of the Chinese New Year, and plans to add Chinese food items like fried turnip cake and coconut red bean pudding to its menu.
Related Articles:
New York Fashion Week—Must-Have Items For Fall
“View” News: Classy “Viewer” Weds and Rosie’s Idol Says “Ciao” To Rome