Just in case you’ve been walking around with your eyes closed, let me tell you! Boutiques are blooming with floral prints. Whilst the mere thought might put some of you in a tizzy (what with pretty flowers being far too girly and flouncy.) May I suggest an alternative? Take inspiration from Prada’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection for a decidedly more edgy style – as florals go graphic!

Admittedly we’re still in softer, lighter fabrics but the prints aren’t as feminine as before. The bold swirls of ink-like illustrations give a fresh twist to this print. I probably wouldn’t wear this entire outfit, as head to toe print is a bit too much for us mere mortals. Though I think the top would look smashing with a pair of jeans.

Take a look at the accompanying editorial campaign that goes with it. It’s far more subtle in terms of ‘flowery’ prints, yet it’s still composed with the organic elements that befit the floral trend.

What I love about these designs, are that they look like they’ve leap from the pages of an artist’s sketchbook. Which is not far from the truth, as Miuccia Prada’s sole inspiration for her entire spring/summer collection was from a drawing, by LA artist James Jean, of a flower and nymph.

You must take a wander down to Prada’s official website to watch, Trembled Blossoms, a beautiful short animated film based on the drawing and her collection. It’s like a surreal paper fairytale of shoes and handbags unfolding before you. Now that’s my kind of dream!

Are you unsure of how to work floral prints? Here’s some tips for wearing them.

Don’t shy away from them. They’re perfect for sprucing up plain outfits. If you’re unsure of the bolder options, then you can always plump for more subtle styles. There is a print for everyone!

Big prints will swamp petite figures, so if you’re short, then you should make sure you wear smaller prints.

The taller you are, the bigger the print you can carry off, Lucky you!

It’s best to not wear a floral print from head to toe. Keep it simple! Either have prints on your top or bottom, never both.

If you don’t want to wear floral prints, you can still interpret the trend with accessories. Think bags and even hair clips.

Remember – Prints will emphasise certain areas, depending on where you’re wearing them. So if you want to make those lumps and bumps invisible, make sure you wear prints for areas that you don’t mind being noticed.

As we’re still in that strange weather where it’s still a little bit nippy and not quite warm enough! You can always team up your floral print dresses with a pair of tights.

Florals are uber feminine; so if you want to look a little tougher, team it up with masculine cut trousers or even a fitted leather jacket for more structure.

Check out Kirsten Bell from the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

She’s wearing an alternative floral print on her one piece swimming costume, complete with a red flower tucked behind her ear. It’s perfect!

Images: Prada.com and Celebutopia.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Fashion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.