Darling buds of winter

what exactly are we saying with flowers this season?

Usually associated with sweetness and light, with spring and summer and hope, they have been given a dark and unsettling edge for this winter, picked out, oversized or distorted, and then set against blackened backdrops.

The mood was epitomised by Valentino’s long, black, silk chiffon dress, with long fitted sleeves, long gathered skirt and a high neckline finished with a white collar. This creation was scattered with printed blooms in pink and cornflower blue with a smattering of blood red, and the overall effect was Little House on the Prairie meets The Ring.

It’s all part of a wider cultural mood, as fashion trends so often are. Think of the menacing undertones of dark country music, as in Video Games by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. There is a definite noir tone to much that we listen to and watch, and so it is with fashion and what we wear.

Thankfully, when it comes to fashion, this mood is not a depressing one. It might be intriguing, seductive, even a little oppressive, but never depressing.

To get the best effect, don’t mix your patterns when wearing moody florals as a statement, perhaps as an evening dress. The blooms can be quite heavy – think, for example, Fifties style, antiqued, over-sized heads of roses – and teaming them with another floral pattern would dilute the overall look.

Going head to toe in moody floral, especially in jacket and trousers, is a definite yes-yes. Giambattista Valli showed ripe orange-red flower heads against a black backdrop, with fluid lines in silk.

Just wearing one piece of moody florals is a good move, too – for example, a bloom-printed pencil skirt, teamed with plain blouse and jacket, or a floral blouse with black jeans.

This moody florals trend is taking off because it makes flower prints so wearable. Many people who would usually never consider a print, let alone a floral one, are trying them out and loving them. Another benefit is that the black or dark backdrop is usually very flattering, giving the slimming effect of black while adding colour. An absolute win-win.

Twitter: @yorkshirefashQ

Yorkshire independents recognised

Keighley-based Brook Taverner has been shortlisted for Best Menswear Brand in the 2013 Drapers Independents Awards.

It joins Harrogate retailer Lynx Menswear, which has been shortlisted for two awards – the Best Menswear Independent and Best Premium Fashion Independent – and Snooty Frox of Harrogate, which has been shortlisted for the Best Womenswear Independent.

The awards will be announced at a celebration reception and luncheon on November 7 at The Waldorf Hilton in London.

The new Drapers Independent Awards are the first of their kind, launched to celebrate the success and reward the talent that is flourishing in the independent retail sector.

Brook Taverner is up against six other brands including Gant, Meyer and Remus Uomo. The Best Womenswear Brand category includes Betty Barclay, Olsen and Joseph Ribkoff.