Blooming Beauties: Floral Fashion Takes Center Stage on Red Carpets

This award season’s red carpets are witnessing a floral resurgence, capturing the essence of Christian Dior’s adage, “After women, flowers are the most divine creations.” The Golden Globes, Emmys, and Critics Choice Awards have seen a profusion of floral-inspired outfits, reflecting a diverse range of styles.

Notable personalities like Kate Moss, Ali Wong, and Rosamund Pike have embraced floral fashion during this awards season. Moss celebrated her 50th birthday in a vintage black floral lace dress, while Wong donned a Louis Vuitton ensemble adorned with beaded flowers at the Emmys. Pike chose a Simone Rocha dress featuring long-stemmed roses sewn into its pockets for the Bafta tea party.

This floral trend extends beyond traditional feminine designs, showcasing a range of styles from ultra-feminine tulle and sequins to stylized, collage-like creations. The diversity includes trouser suits, exemplified by Bella Ramsey’s Thom Browne suit at the Critics Choice Awards and Donald Glover’s embellished Bode suit at the Emmys, accessorized with opera slippers.

Historically, the cultural connotations of flowers have evolved, with Professor Amy De La Haye noting that flowers became gendered feminine in the 19th century coinciding with the rise of haute couture and mass-production fashion industries.

The award season has seen a spectacular array of dresses, such as Cailee Spaeny’s Miu Miu ditsy florals, Jenna Ortega’s Dior outfit embroidered with silk flowers and sequins, and Emily Blunt’s leather dress inspired by flowers climbing a trellis from Oscar de la Renta.

According to Audrey Taillée, editor-in-chief of lifestyle magazine Lula, floral prints can be a daring choice, but embroidery or lace can offer a delicate silhouette, as seen in Emma Stone’s sequinned Louis Vuitton dress and Riley Keough’s Chanel gown at the Golden Globes.

Beyond the celebrity world, floral motifs are also trending in spring fashion for 2024. Roses, including the long-stemmed variety, have featured prominently in fashion week shows, incorporated into handbags, earrings, and decorative motifs.

The enduring human connection with nature serves as a creative influence, as evidenced by fashion designer Miuccia Prada, who cited it at her latest menswear show. This fascination with plants has deep historical roots, with humans adorning their bodies with flower artifacts since Ancient Egyptian times, showcasing the timeless allure of floral fashion.