Dolce & Gabbana fall 2015 images courtesy of style.com
Remember in “The Devil Wears Prada,” when Miranda Priestly sarcastically said that, “florals for spring [was] groundbreaking.” Maybe, she would have thought differently after attending fall 2015 runway shows in New York, London, Paris, and Milan. Not only were big floral and foliage embellishments “groundbreaking” in the fall 2015 collections, it was one of the biggest of the many trends seen this season.
Delpozo and Elie Saab fall 2015 images courtesy of style.com
Whether florals are presented as big roses on a black background as seen in the collections of Erin Fetherton, Dolce & Gabbana, and/or Elie Saab; night flowers popping up in the collections of Sonia Rykiel, Escada, Preen, Vivienne Tam, and Lela Rose, or the big flowers and foliage cutouts, appliquès, and embellishments of Christian Siriano, Theia, Tracy Reese, Peter Pilotti, and Monique Lhuillier, florals in all its many incarnations seems to be a trend that is making a bold statement for fall 2015.
For several fashion seasons designers, merchandisers, and retailers have been coming up with interesting ways to respond to a growing segment of shoppers that are consistently looking for garments that are trans-seasonal. The days of solely shopping seasonally appropriate clothes are rapidly fading. With tighter spending budgets, less recreation shopping time, and schizophrenic weather temmperatures, consumers shop for clothes that transcend seasons. Designer Anita Dongre contends in a dnaindia.com article, “Fashion is becoming trans-seasonal catering to the wants of a global consumer who wants fashion outside of the typical seasonal stuff, they seek year round styles since the seasons have become erratic.”
Vivienne Tam fall 2015 images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com
Four seasons ago designers began incorporating diaphanous fabrics—organza, tulle, chiffon, and lace into fall/winter collections. Some fashion cognoscenti considered diaphanous fabrics for winter an insane concept. Still, consumers liked the trend and it was not unusual to see organza blouses in the workplace during cold months or a beautiful tulle and silk chiffon gown or cocktail dress on the red carpet or a gala under a fur coat.
In response to ever-changing tastes and cultural trends, for fall 2015 designers have taken flowers and sylvan foliage out of just spring collections and planted, so to speak, this aesthetic into fall/winter collections. And by transplanting big flowers and wood foliage on to dark fabric backgrounds the stretch from spring to fall is not that dramatic. The big question is will consumers take the bait?
Christian Siriano fall 2015 images courtesy of style.com
Although big dark florals for fall is a road less traveled, like any new fashion trend, the fashionistas will immediately pick it up and in a short matter of time, the South, the Midwest, and the Dust Bowl will follow suit. Well, just maybe!!
—William S. Gooch
