Seven ways to wear the new boho styles: Flower power is back

Ethnic, futuristic, fringed or floral: spring fashion trends are blossoming, and flower motifs are hard to avoid.

When it comes to florals, no one does them with more aplomb than Richard Quinn, currently London’s fashion star. All the big names have mined botanicals: Louis Vuitton’s light-hearted florals decorate jumpsuits; Chloe’s asymmetric aprons and skirts are delicate and feminine; Valentino’s playful patterns were inspired by Matisse; Stella McCartney offered tight-fitting floral Bermudas (a hard one to master); Comme de Garcons used floral tights to accessorise darker looks, but the boldest bunches of all were at Dolce & Gabbana – flamboyant black floral brocades, floral embellished khaki trouser suits and floral high heeled open toed boots. No sweetness there.

So flower power is back in fashion, but not in a Laura Ashley nostalgic way; some are calling the trend hippy modernism or new boho.

The background is key when it comes to wearing floral print – it's either light and fresh or dark and wintry, and that's key to incorporating print into an existing wardrobe

Simone Rocha handled flowers in her own way with hand-embroidered black floral motifs on full skirts or in big yellow blowsy blooms on black dresses for spring summer. The background is key when it comes to wearing floral print – it’s either light and fresh or dark and wintry, and that’s key to incorporating print into an existing wardrobe. So what has reached the high street?

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Zara’s floral prints are usually out on their own. In this feature a black and brown dress is freshened up with a white collar while a Kelly green jacket picks up the green in a jumpsuit, both from Whistles. The mismatching of polka dots, florals and stripes works well in the ensemble from Alice & Olivia while the bouquet of colours in the MSGM blouse allows trousers to stand out in any one of its shades.

Light and dark work well together, as in the little white jumper with its botanical motifs matched with russet print trousers of Joseph Ribkoff. Boldest of all is the painterly daffodil yellow coat by Dries Van Noten, loud and bold and the pick of the bunch. And if anything says spring, it’s yellow.

Photography: Emily Quinn emilyquinn.com
Styling: Carmel Ann Daly dalystyling.com
Hair and make-up: Odharnait Kiernan odharnait.com
MAC cosmetics and hair using GHD Glide
Model: Frances Cleary @Morgan the Agency