Early spring flowers like snowdrops and daffodils always lift the spirits after the endless wet and dreary days of winter. When it comes to fashion, the Brown Thomas spring show in Dublin is always the main precursor of the forthcoming season, and those attending tend to dress up for the occasion.
This year Ciara Crilly and her team at the store staged a preview in advance of their main show in March, setting the scene with carefully chosen vases of flowers that reflected the colours and seasonal trends from international catwalks.
With Mark Grehan of The Garden, a master at creating memorable floristry, and stylist Aisling Farinella taking her cue from the runways, the fresh floral arrangements echoed the shades of selected garments on display.
Bunches of mimosa were chosen to align with the vibrant yellow coat of Dries Van Noten, lilac tulips reflected the floral dresses at Chloe, pink roses and eucalyptus drew from the sporty green Prada jacket and pink taffeta shorts (a key look from the brand), while poppy anemones were chosen to mark one of the most talked-about items of the season – the red, feathered floor-skimming skirt that closed the Chanel show.
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Pink was everywhere – at Givenchy in a short silk tent dress, at Tom Ford in a languid trouser suit – bunches of pink roses saw to that – while a shapely red jacket by Loewe found its counterpart in red anthuriums.
“We bought a lot of red, green and florals – we really like florals,” said buyer Rachel Armstrong.
“There are plenty of trends we don’t buy into,” Tracey Despard, head of women’s wear, said. “We try and use trends that resonate with our customers.”
A standout item was a double-breasted tailored black coat by Stella McCartney embroidered with flowers taken from her garden, drawn in her atelier and then embroidered. It was worn memorably by actor Cameron Diaz in July with matching trousers when she launched her Avaline rosé wine, with Stella designing the bottle to mark the wine brand’s fifth anniversary. Yours for €3,500 in BTs – the jacket that is, not the wine.
A lot of high and low denim, clean tailored mostly, appeared throughout, an enduring and practical aspect of everyday dressing, and in menswear, quite a few Irish designers continue to make their mark like Pellador, Robyn Lynch and JW Anderson, under the watchful eye of buyer Emer Keating.
Overall, the presentation offered some much-needed optimism for the 2026 spring season, and was a welcome breath of fresh air. Just say it with flowers.
