The Style Files: Floral Fantasy

What woman doesn’t love flowers? 2014 SS and AW have been a haven of floral fantasy. Florals are an essential part of any SS runway and this season, florals seem to fall into one of three camps: soft, romantic, hand-painted florals, embellished and bold, abstract, flat florals. They may not be groundbreaking, familiar yes, but never falling far from extraordinary. Betting on a modern take on florals, the 2014 florals mark the era of a new dawn -  femininity with an edge.

Bold interpretations with embellished flower, oversized shapes, bright colours , mixing of patterns, head to toe florals and daring is what the runways were full of. Our appetite for garden blooms has not waned its increased dramatically.

The go to designers for inspiration and how to wear and pair your florals are:

Nina Ricci for absolute romance and true femininity. Flirty dresses came imbued with a girlish charm; ladylike knee-skimming skirts featured dainty lace details along the hemline, all of which came in sheer, lightweight fabrics. 3D details and embellishment were what the Erdem and Roksanda Ilincic runways were about. Think clean, simple, unfussy shapes with touches of applique flowers, so very adaptable and doable here with the right tailor!

Dolce & Gabbana showed florals that were perfect for a saunter around the Mediterranean, the collection had a very romantic, dream-like feel. Beyonce was recently posted a picture of herself ( from the back)  in one of their floral sundresses looking perfect. When it comes to experimental styles Mary Katrantzou is the designer to look to. Her florals not for the faint hearted were truly spectacular in their unapologetic boldness.

Local stores that have been championing the floral trend like Cotton Collection, Buddhi Batiks, Odel, Avirate and Mango to name a few are the ones to visit to really hone your look. If you’re not keen on approaching a head-to-toe floral look, this season offers plenty of equally stunning alternatives like Prada’s floral embellished sunglasses and Burberrys floral appliqued clutch which have been interpreted by more affordable stores making the look far more accessible to us. Overall there are three main camps for florals: pure romance, intricate embellishment and more experimental styles. Pick one or all and make sure you incorporate some flowers into your wardrobe.