Couture beauty: Chanel brings back the flower crown

The couture shows can always be relied upon for some serious beauty escapism, encouraging us to travel outside the confines of our comfort zone, be it with a brighter eyeshadow or bolder blush.



a person holding a flower: As the couture catwalks deliver an abundance of fairytale hair accessories, we consider the best ways to embrace the season's maximalist styling


© CHANEL
As the couture catwalks deliver an abundance of fairytale hair accessories, we consider the best ways to embrace the season’s maximalist styling

This couture season has heralded the return of the hair accessory: an easy, instant – and often overlooked – way to shake up an everyday look.

In a move no-one expected, Chanel resurrected the flower crown, bringing the festival staple firmly into a fantastical new realm. With wildflowers blooming over a low-slung ponytail, poker-straight and shiny as glass, the look was as far from the mud-soaked fields of Glastonbury as possible.

Dior’s fashion film, a love letter to divinatory arts, saw headpieces of freshwater pearls and filigree flowers bring extra exuberance to the painstakingly hand-stitched gowns.

And trust Giambattista Valli to deliver a truly fairytale take on the trend, with vivid flowers blooming across each models’ head, obscuring their faces and (almost) pulling focus from the tiers of candyfloss tulle.

Clearly, inspiration abounds, but adopting the trend doesn’t have to mean stealing the Zoom spotlight in entirety. The season’s best new hair accessories are an easy route to mastering the look: a gentle pull away from the minimalist beauty of lockdowns past, and a brighter way to embrace exuberance.

Consider Gucci’s pearled barrette, or make a statement with Ashley Williams’ slogan slides. Brit brand Tort, which describes itself as a ‘jewellery box for your locks’ designs nostalgic mix-and-match hair clips destined to be piled high.

For soft-goth loyalists, Simone Rocha’s glinting floral hair slides still reign supreme, while Prada’s outsized headband is now a certified classic, thanks in no small part to Amanda Gorman. Been there, done that? Enter Fendi’s logo-stamped new arrival.

For brides (and everyday romantics) Jennifer Behr and Lelet NY are crafting perfect toppers, while 14 / Quatorze’s filigree bronze hair pins deliver more than a whisper of that grandiose Dior spirit. But for the truly enamoured, it’s Stephen Jones – who else – who has the final word on florals for Spring with his spectacular bridal bouquet headpiece.