Please take a moment to look at the mesmerizing hair bouquets the models at Rodarte’s spring 2019 show wore down a wet graveyard runway. Flower crowns might not be new, but the floral sculptures hairstylist Odile Gilbert created backstage were groundbreaking in their own way.
Rather than follow a few set hairstyles for models, under the direction of designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Gilbert went custom for each and every model. All 48. That meant selecting fresh roses of different sizes and colors (provided, prepped, and strung on wire by floral artist Joseph Free); pairing them with accessories of the bird, crown, and veil variety; and securing everything in place through a mixture of creative bobby-pinning and hair-wrapping. The end result of this labor-intensive, couture hairstyling: One of the best-smelling backstages and prettiest hair looks at New York Fashion Week.
The best part about this style is that it’s hard to mess up should you attempt it yourself. Gilbert intentionally wanted it to be undone and haphazard (she prepped hair by spraying Tresemmé Fresh & Clean Dry Shampoo all over to amp up the messiness), and she underlined the importance of individuality: “In a rose garden, every rose is unique and different. The hair follows this idea,” Gilbert explained. In other words, there is no better hair bouquet than one you personally create for yourself.
If you’re still hungry for more high fashion flower hairspiration while we wait for spring, I suggest looking to Beyoncé or Rihanna, who recently revealed themselves to be huge fans of the wear-as-many-flowers-in-your-hair-and-on-your-head-as-possible trend.
