A bouquet that won’t fade: Which flowers inspired Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and other designers?

Christian Dior once said, “What a blessing it is that there are flowers in the world.” The designer grew up in a villa surrounded by a picturesque garden in Normandy. So it’s no surprise that he often turns to the plant world for inspiration. Even the famous New Look is based on the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcreating images of femmes-fleurs (i.e. “flower women”). If you use your imagination, you will notice that the crinolines in Christian Dior’s first collections resemble buds. But the most important flower in the life of the fashionista was the lily of the valley. The designer believed this brought good luck, so the night before the show he sewed the flower branches into the folds of the dresses himself.

Alexander McQueen, the fashion industry’s chief rebel, also repeatedly looked for inspiration in flowers. Or rather, in one of them. The beautiful but thorny rose has become one of the brand’s most enduring motifs, representing a controversial England in many ways for the designer. The flower appeared as elaborate prints or voluminous appliqués on dresses, skirts and jackets. After the designer’s death, his work was continued by Sarah Burton, who was Alexander McQueen’s creative director until last year. He meticulously worked over the entire archive of the fashion house, often paying attention to the same roses.

Flowers have always been the hallmark of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house. But the designer had special feelings for roses. True, I didn’t see the duality that Alexander McQueen did. Saint Laurent roses were delicate and very sensual; they appeared on plunging necklines, at the waist, at the wrist and even at the ankle. But the most famous image is the wedding dress from the autumn-winter 1999 couture collection, created based on the image of Venus in Botticelli’s painting. Later, maestro Letizia Casta’s latest muse appeared on the catwalk wearing it.