FLOWER REARRANGEMENT

Fertilising an ancient yet established fashion trend

Floral for spring? How refreshing. Honestly though, have we ever seen a season without it? There’s a good reason, however, that flowers — in fashion, at least — will never die. They’re historic. Go back way before mass-produced Forever 21 tunics, even before floral-print pin-up dresses of the ‘50s, and think about the most typical pattern on the centuries-old kimono. Or how lace, an invention from the 15th century still popular today, is indeed a needle-point interpretation of blooms.

Flowers are simply the most primal symbol of beauty and vitality with which we want to associate our appearance. On the flip side, the pace at which we toss out trends has never been faster. How floral has been able to stick with us year after year is due to clever twists on the classic concept, and we don’t even need to look overseas for evidence. Four Thai designers show us how to do floral in spring 2016.

SUBTLE SENADA “Into the Woods”, Senada’s latest nymphean spring collection, is full of subtle floral cues. To backtrack a little, the most predictable application of floral fashion is making a garment out of a flat, posyprinted fabric. Senada changes...

TOUCHE, PLAYHOUND, TOUCHE It’s as if someone challenged Playhound to create a print evoking the very essence of spring, but without using flowers. The result? Abstractions — and a little help from peripheral symbols in the form of fronds. The...