Tulips! They are a popular source of inspiration in fashion design

I often resort to nature for inspiration for color combinations and ideas for shapes (e.g., tree shapes may drive an idea for an A-line skirt). I enjoy gardening and last year I added tulips to my flower selection. The tulips came up in the Spring and added so much color and variety of my backyard!

I also like to research fashion history and find that taking something from my daily life is a wonderful topic of research. So, I researched tulips and their incorporation in fashion design. No surprise there - tulips are a popular source of inspiration. 

I am sharing with you dresses that interpret the tulip in two ways. First, take a look at the sculptural shapes of dresses by Dior and Capucci. The designers looked at the tulip as a source of silhouette - the tulip petals were turned into fabric layers. 

Tulip Dress by Christian Dior (1953)

Dress by Roberto Capucci (1982)

Second, designers turn the tulip into a fabric pattern. The gown by the House of Worth is an example of wonderful workmanship and detail. The tulip, in this case, is easily recognizable and makes a huge visual mark on the black background. Clark turned the tulip into an over-all print on this lovely flowy dress - this dress is a study of color, balance, and how pattern behaves on the garment.

As you can see, tulips have been popular for a long time and their beauty can be incorporated into fashion in various way. I am looking forward to see how they continue to be an important inspiration in fashion design!

"Tulipes Hollandaises" Dress by House of Worth (1889)

Tulip Print Dress by Ossie Clark (1973)