Gigi Hadid’s Met Gala gown might not have made every person’s best-dressed list, but the white, off-shoulder Thom Browne design certainly put a stake – or thorn – in fashion’s fertile ground: roses are back. Romantic, seductive, sensual and emblematic of the fragility of time (cue that famous bell jar in Beauty and the Beast ), roses convey many emotions. But just as roses have thorns, their place in fashion this summer is taking on a tougher edge.
Think fewer “pretty” florals (but if that’s your bouquet, go forth) and more bold takes on the “queen of flowers”. Among the international houses championing the blooms are Magda Butrym (the rose has been the Polish designer’s signature since day dot) and Balmain, whose rose-strewn dresses Margot Robbie wore on the Barbie press tour, including a candy-pink number with black polka dots and the blood-red gown she wore to the Critics’ Choice Awards. The international run on roses has clearly influenced Australian fashion brands such as Rebecca Vallance and Leo Lin, with the latter’s upcoming range featuring dresses with 3-D silk roses dotted along the neckline.
And, for those who prefer their roses by the stem, not the bunch, there’s a single bloom on a leather tie that can be worn around the neck, waist or even snaking up a stockinged calf. “In the East, roses symbolise prosperity and joy, while in the West they epitomise romance and beauty,” Lin says. “To me, roses are more than a flower, they are a.
