The Floral Trend is Back. Did it Ever Leave?

Red by Sally K, $475, 1stdibs.com.

With the season in full bloom, so are the red carpets, interior showrooms, retail racks, and accessories shelves. At every turn, there are floral prints paired with other floral prints, magnified 3-D blooms, and exaggerated petals and inflorescence. From Sydney Sweeney in Balmain’s sculptural top composed of two hands holding a bouquet of 3-D flowers at the premier of Immaculate to the Schiaparelli Couture show where J.Lo, adorned in a white rosette cape, sat next to Hunter Schafer who wore the designer’s very own exaggerated gilded lily necklace around her neck to almost everything Oscar de la Renta ’23/’24, starlets and runways seem completely entwined in the trend. Interior fabric houses are also taking their turn at hyperrealism prints, with widened buds giving a more 3-D appeal. We are seeing an uptick in appliqué and embroidered details as well. Wallcoverings, similarly, are planting their seeds with raised botanical patterns adding depth to any room design.

So the floral trend is back—but did it ever really go away?

Of course, floral textiles are nothing new. They have dominated fashion, architecture, and interiors dating back to the 14th century. One might even argue that florals were the acting originator in pattern play during the preindustrial era when nature served as the only inspiration. Throughout Asia and Europe, embroidered florals adorned silks that were used to dress royalty and the wealthy. Present in almost all textile trades, floral influences hold historical significance in how they brought cultures together to collaborate and trade. Today, we see florals making an oversized comeback during a maximalist and antiestablishment time: Reinvented and better than ever! Tacked on to shoes, handbags, and lapels, hanging from light fixtures, and offering illusions on your walls—just scroll through Instagram, and you’ll see it is a floral-on-floral world across all facets of design.

If you think this fashion trend is just for the ladies, think again! These boundary-breaking floral patterns are seen all over menswear, especially on embellished and embroidered dinner jackets. So unearth those florals, Ladies and Gents, cross-pollinate those closets and rooms, and have yourself a fun time mixing and matching patterns. More is most certainly more!

“Tess” floral appliqué swimsuit, $340, Karla Colletto.

“Posy Flush Triple” porcelain-and-brass light, $2,362, The Urban Electric Co.

Silvia Furmanovich “Pink Begonia Leaf” rose gold, diamond, rubelite, pink tourmaline, and wood earrings, $20,400, The Vault.

“Tro” bag in orchid-hued leather, $2,790, Oscar de la Renta.

“Sazana” white-oak-and-brass demilune sideboard, $3,864, Kathy Kuo Home.

Magda Butrym floral-appliquéd belted cotton-blend gabardine coat, $3,445, Net-a-Porter.

Italian porcelain-and-18k-gold dinner plates, $220 for set of two, La DoubleJ.

“Iyla Embroidery” cotton-and-rayon fabric, price upon request, Schumacher.

“Daria” sculpted flower vase, $78, Anthropologie.

“Painted Poppies” cropped tank, $1,898,” Oscar de la Renta.

“Painted Poppies,” cotton-poplin skirt, $2,290, Oscar de la Renta.

“Magnolia” mule in cerulean-blue leather, $330, Larroude.

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Summer 2024 issue, with the headline “Floral Fantasy.”