Fictional fashion expert Miranda Priestly once said, “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.” Although her state-
ment was bluntly sarcastic, she speaks the truth. Florals and spring go together like Anna Wintour and sunglasses — you rarely see one without the other. So, needless to say, florals were expected to make an appearance in New York Fashion Week’s display of Spring 2025 lines. We are seeing florals in unique ways that make them appropriate yet fresh. In contrast to the more common small print mini bouquets or individual flow ers that appear on clothing, flowers are getting bigger, more vibrant and tangible. Here are three ways that various designers have creatively brought a creative take on spring’s timeless staple.
Realism
One of my newfound favorite designers, Alice + Olivia, have approached florals in a completely innovative way. Alice + Olivia is a high-end brand that often reinvents vintage elements for contem- porary audiences. For this Spring 2025 show, creative director Stacy Bendet continued a theme that has been seen in her past few collections: extremely realistic florals. Vibrant picturesque displays of expansive roses and peonies scale the sides of her classic power suits. In past shows, this style of flora has given me a 2010s vibe. However this time, Bendet
broadened the color palette and changed the placement, resulting in a far more modern rendition.
Construction
In Caroline Hu’s line, it appears as if the models transform into literal flowers. This innovative rendition is typical for Hu as she is often adventurous with silhouettes, fabric manipulation and color. In this collection, Hu used pigments that capture the essence of flowers, such as blues, greens, pinks, oranges and reds. The colors are strategically placed on voluminous silhouettes, resembling a bloomed flower. However, each look has a unique deconstructed style that isn’t ready-to-wear. Her most subtle application of florals were a large rose embroidered on the center of a silk white gown. The embroidery is so relaxed that the flower appears to be 3D, and the embellishment pinches the fabric. It is apparent that the messily constructed look is Hu’s style, but I am not a fan of it in this collection.
Three-dimensional
In the Zomer show, a newer brand whose creative director is Danial Aitouganov, florals appeared throughout the entire line in various ways: bleached, photographed, realistic and painted, but it was 3-D that stood out the most. Colossal three-dimensional flowers jump off the chests of models, in some cases to an unwearable extent. In one look, a model looks as though she has been consumed by a rogue flower shop, which felt more appropriate for a couture show. The childish energy of the line especially came through in an outfit where a large paper-looking flower is stuck onto a dress, which reminded me of a giant children’s art project. Overall, I did not like the collection itself because it reminded me of a children’s book, but I did appreciate its bold take on florals.
Florals will forever be perennial when it comes to spring fashion. I find it refreshing to see the creative and in novative way designers are keeping us excited for the most expected trend. Most of the brands I have listed are high-end and would be a considerable investment for most. For the more experimental brands, such as Zomer
and Caroline Hu, I would recommend taking inspiration from their collections but not replicating them. Because these designers have such an avante-garde take on florals, it is likely that their pieces will go out of style quickly
once the new standard for florals is officially set. Essentially, I wouldn’t advise investing in the more eccentric
renditions of florals. Rather, consider incorporating vibrant colors and voluminous silhouettes into your spring wardrobe.
