Emily Loves: Fall Florals

Photos: Alain Simic

 

Emily Loves: Fall Florals

             While I think most everyone can agree on the beauty of flowers, I’ve always found them particularly inspiring. Coincidentally, Larkspur is the colloquial name for Delphiniums — so flowers are pretty much an essential part of Larkspur & Hawk’s DNA. Despite my personal affinity for florals, I’d never referenced them directly in my designs until creating the newest Sadie collection. For this latest iteration, I drew on some of my favorite florals of all time: the freeform, elegantly disheveled arrangements of Dutch Old Masters’ paintings.

            These vanitas were wildly popular throughout the 17^th century, depicting the exquisite flowers, fruits and decorative objects that were prized by high society. Beneath their seemingly innocent subject matter, Dutch still-lifes captured symbols of life’s fleeting nature — like a delicate bloom that is destined to wilt. As such, these florals were rendered in deep, moody tones that lend dulcet bouquets a darker appeal. It’s precisely those hues that color the new Sadie collection: rich burgundies, dusty pinks, burnt oranges. To help bring them to life, we created a few vanitas of our own by photographing the collection amidst sumptuous arrangements crafted by Nicolette Owen of Brooklyn’s Little Flower School and photographed by Alain Simic. Shadowy and serene, these images capture everything I love about those old-world floral masterpieces.