FLOWER BOMB
Sweet, innocent florals? Not this season
Designers are going wild about florals – and it’s all about wearing them with attitude.
IF YOU THINK FLOWER PRINTS
are strictly reserved for christenings, morning teas and meeting the in-laws, it’s time to cast an eye to the runway. Or better still, to Beyoncé walking the blue carpet at the recent A Wrinkle In Time premiere, where she rocked a flippy floral mini-dress by Zimmermann. Cut low at the front, big in the sleeves and short at the hemline, the white and teal printed number was everything we want from fashion now – assertive, alluring and all about the attitude.
At Zimmermann, and elsewhere, it’s not hard to see that today’s blooms give new meaning to the term flower power. Demure, this season’s florals are not. The best versions are bright, bold and just a bit wild. At Marni, creative director Francesco Risso’s jumping-off point was the idea of a young woman on a skateboard. That notion played out in toxic greens and blues and blotchy outsized roses strewn across off-kilter shapes and clashing combinations that pushed the signature vintage house prints into renegade territory when teamed with bright bags and painted kitten heels.
In London, Erdem – a favourite of royal newcomer Meghan Markle – took its inspiration from the Queen while researching her connection to the ’50s jazz scene and to African-american culture. Meanwhile, local hero Mary Katrantzou sent out brash dresses that morphed paint-bynumber prints with ’80s parachute streetwear. And relative new kid on the block Mother Of Pearl, a womenswear brand making a name for its celebration of individuality, riffed on multicoloured pattern in looks that were at once built for special occasions and the every day, office included.
By the time Paris Fashion Week rolled around, the futureflorals theme was really gaining traction, so much so that at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière was layering lighter-than-air chiffon dresses with reworked Marie Antoinette-style corsetry. The real twist was the addition of the new LV sneakers. A French revolution, indeed. And it’s just the way we want to be wearing this trend. Like Beyoncé with her big loopy earrings, glittery clutch and speckled sunglasses, the look is best worn with a subversive spirit. And a spring in your step. Because even though winter is coming, fierce femininity is in the air.