In Fashion’s Eden, among haute couture dresses rich in lovingly embroidered petals and bouquet-shaped skirts, the strong connection between roses and the collections of great designers created romantic dresses that made you dream, using a powerful contrast between the tenderness of a flower and prickly thorns. protecting him, and the exquisite charm that he exudes. The rose influenced not only perfumers, stylists and jewelers, but generations of artists, from poets such as William Blake to artists such as Dali, who were able to capture the ephemeral essence and turn it into art with the aim of capturing its beauty and bring it to life. will last over time.
Roses have been present in the universe of women’s clothing since the eighteenth century, applied and sewn onto accessories and dresses, they are intriguing symbols of beauty, love and pleasure, sensuality and transgression, transience and even death, embroidered in a wide range of colors from classic red to delicate -pink, and then from yellow, white and orange. There is an endless supply of hats produced over the past two centuries by milliners and couturiers from all over the world such as Caroline Rebu, Elsa Schiaparelli, Mr. John, Christian Dior and Jeanne Lanvin, who decorated their creations with artificial flowers in velvet, silk organza and feathers or soft forms that themselves resemble roses. This fashion, which originated in the nineteenth century in the first photographic studios, was widely revived in the fifties of the twentieth century, in the years when women could be seen walking along the streets of the city and the countryside with all kinds of models, from large ones to bright jewelry to more restrained, decorated with small ones. details.
Since then, roses have won a major role in many dresses, becoming the focus of entire collections, shaping trends and deepening their love story with designers, as happened with Christian Dior, who from an early age made the rose the center of many of his creations and used it as a cornerstone. a stone in many perfumes throughout his career, starting in 1947 with the cult fragrance of the Miss Dior brand, dedicated to his childhood memories. Since then, show after show, creative director after creative director of the house, the Dior collections are full of floral patterns, roses of all kinds and types, shapes and colors, from wild to well-finished bouquets, from red to savory. from the design of John Galliano to the most delicate and romantic, presented by Maria Grazia Chiuri.
By the late 1990s, many designers were exploiting the sensual allure of the rose, notably the cape from Jean-Paul Gaultier’s 1997 haute couture debut, a long black cloak adorned with a row of crimson red roses sewn to the shoulders. complement the outfit, as well as a bodycon dress from Mugler’s 1999 haute couture spring/summer collection, studded with glamorous and transgressive black roses, embroidered with lace and beading, framed by a neckline and plunging slit, a dress that Kylie Jenner also wore in 2022. .
“For me it’s the queen of flowers, the most British flower of all, a symbol of femininity,” said Sarah Burton, who replaced Alexander McQueen as creative director of the brand of the same name. The designer actually continued the work of her predecessor. interpreting the language of love that McQueen established with roses, his muses are in many collections. Starting in the 1990s, the designer experimented with new techniques for presenting it and new ways of using the materials from which he made his clothes, in 1997 he appeared on the Fall / Winter runway: a little black leather dress with laser-cut petals and spikes that create sensual transparency, revealing the model’s body, and red underwear, as if emphasizing the sensuality of the flower, stylized embroidery on raw fabrics during the spring show. / Summer 1999, romantic prints during the fall/winter blizzard of the same year, yellow roses spring/summer 2005 and finally the spring/summer 2007 collection, a series of bouquets of roses of all colors, cascades of petals and light fabrics. who revere the poetic and romantic essence of this flower, capable of capturing the attention of the beholder. This latest collection was focused not only on beauty and the desire to capture it in a more enduring form, but also wanted to highlight the parallelism with life. The last dress of the collection was made up of hundreds of fresh flowers that fell on the catwalk during the fashion show. A show that symbolizes how delightful yet fleeting the perfection of a rose is, the perfect metaphor for the brevity of life. In the Fall/Winter 2015 collection, Burton explores the idea of the “spirit of the rose” by offering skirts with flounces and chiffon ruffles that create soft petal-like waves, playing with colors and their meanings, from pale pink, symbolizing grace. to the deep red of mourning. The study of roses continues and digs deeper and deeper, moving forward with collections and exploring new materials and forms.
Rei Kawakubo for the Commes des Garçons Fall/Winter 2016 collection was inspired by 19th century fashion, reimagining it with punk style, armor covered in brocade, maxi-rose silhouettes acting as protection, and oversized flared and tight print dresses. different varieties. and rose colors in an asymmetrical set of shapes.
Instead, Marchesa ran the same season with models wrapped in tulle and soft silk draperies in feminine colors like pink, baby blue and cyclamen, all in soft and flattering silhouettes.
The Rodarte spring/summer 2019 collection took place in a flower garden surrounded by a magical dreamlike atmosphere: a succession of tonal dresses with ruffles, bows and lace, worn by models whose faces were framed by rose crowns and floral headdresses.
The Spanish Steps in Rome were painted by Rosso Valentino during the Fall/Winter 2022 haute couture show, where roses of all sizes were embroidered on dresses, shirts, shoes, coats, tops and skirts, captivating the guests of the event.
