How Floral Displays Help To Celebrate London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is a world-leading event and has a reputation for showcasing the hottest new talents in the fashion industry. It draws famous names from around the globe; not just designers and models, but also celebrities, media personalities, and even royalty.
Behind the scenes, there’s a huge army of stylists, makeup artists, hairdressers, stage builders, lighting directors, caterers, and hundreds of others making sure that everything runs smoothly and looks amazing. Among this hive of activity will be event florists, putting in place stunning floral displays to complement the clothes and accessories on show.
Fashion and flowers: a natural combination
Florals are certainly not just a transient fashion trend: they go hand in hand with textile and clothing design, and there’s a long tradition of blooms being used at shows for decoration, accessories and even as part of the outfits themselves.
Over the years, flowers have been seen on the catwalks as part of headdresses, spilling out of tote bags, entwined around posts and pillars, suspended from the ceiling, or scattered along the runway. Fresh flowers not only bring vivid colour and the natural variety and beauty of nature, but also a delicate and sensual fragrance.
How flora has influenced fashion through time
The symbolism and natural beauty and colour of flowers means that the relationship between fashion and flora has been a long and joyous one. In ancient times, some flowers such as lotus were elevated to sacred status, and were symbols of purity, rebirth, and fertility.
Lotus flowers were used as headdresses and worn in garlands around the necks of young women, or made into jewellery or wreaths for special occasions in Ancient Egypt, for example.
Flower motifs are found on textiles such as Persian rugs and cloaks, and are a huge influence on textile design such as the chintz fabrics that were manufactured in India and exported to Europe in huge quantities from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Chintz was used to make homeware and also ladies fashions such as hats, scarves and dresses.
Today, florals are still a favourite for fashion designers, especially for spring and summer collections, and their shows often feature luxury floral displays put together by expert florists to enhance the atmosphere and charm of the occasion.
Celebrating 40 years of visionary style
This year’s London Fashion Week (12-17 September) will celebrate the event’s 40th anniversary since the inaugural show that was staged in 1984 by the PR guru Lynne Franks. The very first show launched the careers of the designers Katherine Hamnett and John Galliano, among others.
The British Fashion Council will be holding a special party to celebrate the milestone anniversary. As is traditional, the September event will showcase collections for spring/summer of 2025, which promises to be more exciting and diverse than ever before.