Katie Mai, a Vietnamese American illustrator living in Fishtown, designed the majority of Target’s latest Lunar New Year collection, writes Emily Bloch for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The big-box retailer’s capsule collection features a range of brightly hued, whimsical designs, with 26 created by Mai. Prices range from $5 to $30.
Mai was spending Christmas with her family when a friend sent her a photo of the Lunar New Year display at a local Target.
“I wasn’t aware that it had hit stores yet,” said Mai. “At that moment, I felt a mix of excitement, pride, and anxiety. This is a huge milestone for my illustration career, and it’s real and it’s out there for everyone to see.”
Weeks later, the artist and her parents and grandparents headed over to Target to take a look at the collection.
Mai said it all felt surreal.
For her designs, the 25-year-old was inspired by intricate mosaic work that she saw on her own trip to Vietnam.
There is one particular motif often repeated, that being the Mai flower, which is a celebrated plant in Vietnam. It is also where her middle name comes from.
To her, the yellow blossoms are synonymous with Lunar New Year.
Read more about Katie Mai and her Lunar New Year designs in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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