Flower Inspired Fashion Is All The Rage This Wedding Season

Classic beauty personified, the Gia Gown by Guillermo Pharis brings blooms to life. Available at Guillermo Pharis Bridal. | Photo by Kevin Alexander

There’s no denying that flowers and fashion are connected. From primitive people to the Egyptians to the Romans to the Victorians, flowers have been used to enhance the way we look, smell and feel for thousands of years, and the allure of the bloom is as strong today as it has ever been.

No matter where you live or how you dress, flowers have become a form of elegant expression. Whether you’re wearing a casual, daisy-designed blouse to browse the shops in Aspen or a rose-colored evening gown complemented with a lily in your hair for a fancy gala, flowers and fashion go together like berets and baguettes.

Farm Rio, known for its infusion of color featuring the flora and fauna of Brazil, available at A Line Boutique. | Photo by A Line boutique

Natural beauty

The timeless versatility of floral prints makes them a perennial trend that blooms each season, mirroring nature. Vibrant or muted colors, texture and ever-evolving foliage morph before our eyes, just as the runways of the world recently showcased an array of fresh and flowy blouses, reinvented jeans and flower-power prints during Fashion Week in Paris, New York and Milan.

Colorado wardrobe stylist Hailee Lucchesi says designing with flowers sparks the creativity and fun side of fashion. Known for lacing her style projects with a variety of floral inspirations, Lucchesi works with an array of designers and fashion houses that take their nod from the flora that we are accustomed to here in Colorado.

This (flower) power suit set by L’Agence has major boss vibes, from A Line Boutique. | Photo by A Line Boutique

“Flowers have such an ever-changing ability to be powerful or subdued; that’s what makes them so alluring,” Lucchesi explains. “Florals are limitless in the sense that they can act as your main hero piece or the accessory icing on the cake. Whether you’re going bold with a floral suit set or keeping your outfit laid-back with monochromatic tones and a pop of floral in a handbag or shoe, you’ll be sure to shine this season.”

Walk through the rose garden in Dolce & Gabanna cotton floral pumps from Neiman Marcus | Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

Flower power

After starting her fashion career at Vogue and moving into celebrity styling, Lucchesi has seen almost everything in the industry. When it comes to chic looks and an impressive range of designers, A Line Boutique in Cherry Creek (one of four locations in Colorado) is her go-to for variety. “I love that they carry many heritage brands but also continue to seek out new and emerging brands,” she says.

Suffice it to say, the spring and summer runways were full of floral creations. They were presented in streetwear and accessories, and by local designers all the way to haute couture. “Flowers are dominant in every category, and I hope they are here to stay,” says Lucchesi. “That’s the entire premise of fashion. Being able to interchange high and low elements into your wardrobe, making you feel bold and beautiful, just like the floral itself.”

Photo by A Line boutique

On the bridal side

Guillermo Pharis is a New York-based designer who moved his studio to Denver during the pandemic. His craft is bridal couture but, for the avant-garde bride, he has a spectacular collection of nontraditional dresses. “Take his Gia gown, for example,” says Lucchesi, which is “whimsical, bold and effervescent.” Adds the stylist, who works closely with the team at Guillermo Pharis Bridal, “The long train and classic silhouette keep you coming back for a second look.”

Pharis, who is a proponent of bridging romance and heroism, says flowers are universal in fashion. “From flowers to plants, nature plays a big role in our lace motifs and fabric patterns … [and] delivers a very ergonomic and harmonious beauty to my designs,” he says.

A bespoke floral necklace from Plum Sage Flowers adorns the bride. | Photo by Steve Stanton Photography

The flower paintings of French artist Henri Matisse are a main inspiration for Pharis. “The invention of fabric printing contributed to preserve flowers in fashion, so we could pass their beauty from generations to generations,” he notes. So, naturally, when it comes to the designer’s unprecedented take on bridal fashion, it’s how the fabrics flow that makes all the difference.

Floral artistry

Erin Hornstein, lead designer at Plum Sage Flowers in Denver, also shares a talent for flower artistry. “Flowers have been a focus of fashion design for years. Their vibrancy and natural beauty are an inspiration for textiles and art alike. From feminine blooms such as peonies and roses to tropical leaves such as the monstera, flowers evoke a mood that can instantly elevate an article of clothing,” Hornstein says. In fact, some of her favorite designers focus on floral patterns in vibrant or subtle shades and patterns, including Alice and Olivia, Farm Rio and Marchesa.

Photo courtesy of Plum Sage

As a full-service floral design studio located in a historic building in west Washington Park, Plum Sage Flowers focuses on creativity, superb service and beautiful designs that make weddings and special occasions stand out. The boutique assists brides who are looking for au courant enhancements like fresh flowers placed on accessories or made into stunning necklaces or hair adornments.

“Real, faux fabric or jewels, the shape and colors of petals, blooms and stems truly complement and enhance any accessory,” says Hornstein. “We also find that most female wedding honorees prefer to wear a wrist cuff with a floral accent versus the elastic or pin-on corsage. [Other trends that] brides prefer are a single bloom on a pin for their hairstyle or a detailed cluster of blooms and texture on a comb.”

It’s clear that florals have made their mark in the fashion world in more ways than one—and we couldn’t be happier. After all, flowers symbolize love, peace and beauty, and what’s more feminine than that?

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

DETAILS

GUILLERMO PHARIS BRIDAL
2952 Welton St., Denver
646-322-4959

PLUM SAGE FLOWERS
285 S. Pearl St., Denver
720-328-2190

HAILEE LUCCHESI
720-253-5225