Gold House Lunar New Year

Yearning is that hidden string beneath the surface of the grandest love stories and the smallest private rituals. It is the feeling of reaching for something that society tells you is not yours to hold.

In Bridgerton season four, this yearning moves the plot forward through Yerin Ha. As Sophie Baek, she exists in a world of rigid class lines, navigating a profound ache for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). Theirs is a story of two people yearning for each other against the suffocating rules of Regency era propriety. Similarly, in Heated Rivalry, our recent Timid Magazine cover star Hudson Williams portrays a character defined by a modern struggle. Alongside his counterpart, the characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov yearn for acceptance in a world that often demands they hide their true selves.

Different centuries. Same ache.

For me, Lunar New Year has always carried its own version of that feeling. As an adoptee, the holiday can magnify a desire for belonging that feels just out of reach. I grew up watching Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior on the Disney Channel, fixating on the scene where Brenda Song’s Wendy eats a mooncake with her grandmother. To me, that snack I never tasted before was a rite of passage, a signifier of authenticity that I didn't know how to claim.

I often find myself yearning for the cultural connections that were taken from me by the circumstances of my birth. I think about red envelopes I never received, or the steam of a family hotpot meal I never sat down to. For many in the Asian diaspora, the holiday can magnify the desire for belonging that can, at times, feel just out of reach.

Last week in Chinatown, Gold House sought to answer that collective yearning with something tangible.

The organization brought its inaugural Lunar New Year Gold Celebration to New York Fashion Week, hosting more than 200 guests at Chinese Tuxedo and the Opera House on historic Doyers Street.  

Ha and Williams co-hosted alongside a collective of cultural leaders, including: Prabal Gurung, Eva Chen, Bowen Yang, Daniel Martin, Melissa King, Bach Mai, and Kim Shui. Williams also marked the night in a more personal way. He brought his mother as his date and celebrated his birthday.

The room was a vibrant cross-section of influence and talent. Other guests included past Timid feature talents like Maia and Alex Shibutani, Anna Cathcart, Zine Tseng, Nick Pugliese, and Liam Oh.

The evening featured immersive touches that nodded to the heritage of its hosts. Netflix’s Bridgerton transported guests to a "Regency Lunar New Year" portrait lounge, while Hennessy served custom cocktails like the "Crimson Wave," featuring red jujube and Chinese bitters to honor the Year of the Fire Horse. Upstairs in the Opera House, the atmosphere was alive with the rhythmic, sharp click of mahjong tiles and the uninhibited joy of late-night karaoke. People stayed longer than they meant to.

Yearning, at its core, is about imagining something more. It begins as a private ache, just as prosperity is often framed as an individual prize to be chased. Once you finally obtain that connection and find the seat at the table you have been looking for, the next selfless step is abundance.

The night began with the familiar pang of longing for a sense of home. It ended with the realization that when we gather, we exist in abundance with one another. The yearning stops because we have finally become the home we were looking for.

Here are some of our favorite looks from this inaugural Lunar New Year celebration.

Alok @alokvmenon in Param Sahib @parambanana

Amanda Nguyen @amandangocnguyen in Yaly Couture @yalycouturehoian & Lan Ngoc Jewelry

Andrew Dinh @andrewndinh in La Sol @lasol.daily

Avantika @avantika in Leo Lin @leolin_official

Bowen Yang @fayedunaway in Sandro @sandroparis

Eva Chen @evachen212 in Altuzarra @altuzarra

Faith Xue @faith_xue in Sau Lee @saulee

Jasmine Rice LaBeija @jasminericenyc

Jon Kung @jonkung in Detroit Dandy @dandy.detroit & Grenson Shoes @grensonshoes

Kim Shui @kimshui in Kim Shui Studio @kimshuistudio

Kim @thestreetsensei in Monohomme Studios @monohomme.studios & Lilah Roché

Alithea Castillo @alitheacastillo in Mara Chua Filipiniana @maraxchua, Chopova Lowena @chopoaowena, Miista @miista & YSL @ysl

Aika Flores @by.aikaflores in Tod's @tods

Padma Lakshmi @padmalakshmi in Gucci @gucci & Viktor & Rolf @viktorandrolf

Yerin Ha @yerinha_ in Prabal Gurung @prabalgurung

Hudson Williams @hudsonwilliamsofficial in Prabal Gurung @prabalgurung

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan @maitreyiramakrishnan in Cucculelli Shaheen @cucculellishaheen

Anna Cathcart @annacathcart in Sau Lee @saulee

Lily Chee @lilychee in Sau Lee @saulee & Chanel @chanelofficial

Linh Truong @withlovelinh in Arcana Archive @arcanaarchiveofficial, Simone Rocha @simonerocha_, Vagabond Shoemakers @vagabondshoemakers & Loewe @loewe

Lola Tung @lola.tung in Balenciaga @balenciaga, The Attico @theattico, Leo Season @leoseason_official, Mejuri @mejuri & Hammitt @hammittla

Melissa King @chefmelissaking in Thom Browne @thombrowne

Nick Pugliese @nickpug in Orttu @orttu_official, Hugo Boss @boss & AllSaints @allsaints

Suni Lee @sunisalee in Kim Shui Studio @kimshuistudio

Jess Xu @jessxu in Maison Valentino @maisonvalentino

Tammy Henault @thisistammyhenault in Amsale @amsale

Supriya Ganesh @supriyaganesh_ in Michael Kors @michaelkors & Vardaan Arora @vardaanarora

Laura Jung @laurajung in In House Studio @inhousestudio_

Phyllis Kao @phyllliskao in Anna Sui @annasui

Trishna Rikhy @trishnarikhy in Axel Arigato @axelarigato