Blooms of Significance
The mundane urge to adorn flowers on our clothes dates back to the Egyptian era. Flowers were a means through which the highbrow could showcase their wealth. For most of history and its aesthetic standpoint, flowers were essential to tell a tale; they reigned in the hall of fame from Greeks and Romans to our contemporary era to symbolize purity, innocence, beauty, peace, joy, and love.
Historically, flowers were used as arrangements, on clothing as patterns, or in their natural form to emphasize certain positions in the social hierarchy since certain flowers were relatively harder to obtain due to seasonal and geographical conditions and their rarity. In the Renaissance Period, flowers possessed the meaning of peace and purity along with their status marker quality for the social and aristocratic values of the time. The wearer’s status quo conveyed a sense of nobility, especially if the flowers were of rare or exotic nature. Because the garments of the time tailor-made for the higher class required exquisite craftsmanship, they also signaled a finer taste and appreciation for artistry.
Portrait of Maria Teresa of Spain. Via Wikipedia.
As humanity progressed and there was little to no need for sundials since we have smartphones now, the symbolism behind flowers and floral elements has shifted significantly. Although the times have changed, the human desire to bejewel ourselves with a certain part of nature prevails. When considered more recent times in history, in 1967, flamboyant flower patterns represented the idealistic perspective of hippies, or the ‘flower children,’ where a group of young people gathered to celebrate the universal connotations of belonging, unity, peace, and love. The origins of the concept of the flower child, or its motivation stemmed from an antiwar mindset that was reinforced by activists of the time through giving flowers as an act of protest.
As we are, arguably, in the post-realism era of humanity where reality has reduced its volume in its palpable quality, we have seen high fashion names making use of floral patterns or flowers themselves such as Valentino, Manolo Blahnik, and Dolce & Gabbana to name a few. The runway has also seen totally awe-inspiring pieces with their sheer grandeur. The pieces are so timeless that it is hard to believe the Yves Saint Laurent’s runway show Haute Couture Spring/Summer took place more than thirty years ago.
The models emerge from the backstage adorned with alluring and delightful floral patterns stretching their hands over to the present: the Met Gala 2024. With our present day and the rise of individuality, flowers can bear the meaning of anything. It is what we, as people, make of them. Flowers become the epitome of timeless beauty, hence the theme ‘Garden of Time.’
