FASHION FORWARD: FALL 2017

Photo courtesy of Bridget Halanski.

Four of the looks from the FLEUROTICA Fashion Show at the opening preview party of the 2017 Chicago Flower and Garden Show, which runs through Sunday, March 26th at Navy Pier. The garments were totally fashioned of flowers and were quite amazing. The Show benefited the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance http://www.garfieldconservatory.org.  All models courtesy of Factor/Chosen Model Management cleverly booked by Bridget Halanski, Runway Director, follow on Instagram @factorchosen_chi @agentbridge

Yes, I am still in my floral frame of mind and the 2017 Chicago Flower and Garden Show got me to thinking about garments…and guess what the Fall/Winter 2017-2018 Collections showed a floral print trend!  We are accustomed to seeing floral prints for Spring/Summer Collections but most people wear their clothes year round why not have florals year round as well.  It is quite refreshing to see them “off-season”!  Mind you not entire collections but enough to show a trend, which actually started a couple of years ago.  Here are some that caught my eye…what can you find to support this theory?

Dolce & Gabbana always have some floral pieces in their collections…aren’t these knockouts!  Timeless as well as seasonless. Pinterest image source unknown.

More florals from the Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2017 Collection. Image from Pinterest, credit unknown.

Two looks from the Mary Katratzou Fall/Winter 2017-2018 Collection. Images from Pinterest photo credit unknown.

From the Oscar de la Renta Collection by the new designers for the House, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim…they hit it out of the park and kept true to the de la Renta brand! In addition to seeing florals in the Fall Collections, from almost every designer, you will see a major black and white trend in pattern and combined in color blocking. Pinterest images photo credit unknown.

One of my favorite pieces from any of the Fall/Winter 2017-2018 collections…again from Oscar de la Renta. Pinterest image, credit unknown.

We know Raf Simons is now the creative force at Calvin Klein, but let’s go back a few years, actually to his first Christian Dior Haute Couture collection in July 2012 (I’m sure you have all seen the documentary, Dior and I, if not get it immediately, it is brilliant!!!) The images below are two views of the all flower rooms Raf created for this Show, can you even imagine walking into these spaces, the fragrance must have been incredible! (Mike Hines, http://www.epoch.com let’s discuss for our next gala!!)

Two years later, 2014, he did flowers hanging from the ceiling, wow…Tom Kehoe http://www.kehoedesigns.com take notes (yes, I know you have done it as well and beautifully!!!)

One of my all time favorite dresses from the master himself, Christian Dior, circa 1954, of course, it is covered in his favorite flower, lily of the valley, you know it is mine too!!!  Isn’t it perfection!! Not from a Fall Collection, but I couldn’t resist…sorry….