For better or for worse, the flower crown's trajectory has been an interesting one. Its roots reach back centuries and across multiple cultures well before it became the bane of everyone's existence as the epitome of "festival wear." It goes all the way to the Ancient Greeks, who linked the ornamental wreaths to the divine, and extended the ceremonial tradition to Olympians. The flower crown eventually developed a somewhat pastoral identity — one could use it as a vehicle for romanticization, something to satiate the longing for the simplicity of agrarian life. Bridal wear kept the flower crown alive and tangentially connected to its ceremonial originals until the free love of the ’60s encouraged the use of flowers as accessories, a mentality ultimately resurrected through the Coachella fashion cycle and the boom of digital fashion writing.
The latest iteration of the flower crown, however, is far more sculptural than any of its predecessors. Both Rihanna and Beyoncé wore flower crowns on their respective Vogue September issue covers, both of them staggering facial bouquets that felt powerful, baroque, and a far cry from the typical whimsy associated with the piece. There was no shortage of ornate flower arrangements on the runways this spring either. Chanel added embellished veils to its romantic crowns, while Kei Ninomiya's massive facial bouquets were full of gothic sophistication. Flower crowns are in a liminal state in their evolution, and for now they're obstructive and with an aggressive beauty that says, "We're here to stay, get used to it."
Thumbnail via Vogue Magazine.