Welcome to the start of our new journey!

In Chinese mythology, dragons are far more than legendary beasts. They are divine rulers who command the rain and seas. This power was massively important, as the arrival of rain meant the difference between a bountiful harvest or destructive flooding. For centuries, people would pray to the Dragon Kings, seeking their favor to keep the weather balanced and the lands prosperous.

Each Dragon King is totally unique. They are tied to a specific cardinal direction of their ruling kingdom, an element, a season of the year, and their own distinct colors.

The challenge of this collection is weaving all of those ancient concepts into each pin. But we’re here for it! To make things especially fun and give them a natural, whimsical flow, I’m incorporating specific animal features into each dragon’s design.

Let me introduce you to the first two:

Ruler of the freezing Arctic Sea, Ao Shun represents winter and the element of water. If you look closely at his flow and shape, you might notice forms taken from herons and betta fish, which served as huge inspiration for his elegant design.

Living on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, Ao Qin embodies growth and heat. While all the dragons control the rain, Ao Qin specifically has influence over the heavy, warm summer monsoons.

Each king brings a totally different vibe to the collection, and I’m really enjoying building our their noodly, majestic forms. I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the roster with you all!

Make sure you follow our project on Backerkit to be  notified the moment we officially launch the campaign on June 16th! As a special bonus, if you pledge in the first 48 hours, you will get our Red Lantern pin completely FREE! And yes, it’ll feature a real, physical tassel! We’re way too excited about it.

Until next time,

Arielle + Ryan