Fashion: Petal pusher

Photo / Greg Bowker

Spring break! floral prints go wild.

There's no denying the power of a good floral print, and despite being a perennial spring/summer favourite, there's always a new way to wear it.

Hyper floral prints and floral print-on-print outfits have been welcomed by those wanting to embrace colour and fun.

"Once you start, you can't stop," street style photographer Phil Oh told Vogue.com.

Oh, along with fellow street-style photographer Tommy Ton, decided to counteract the minimalist "norm core" trend by embracing spring florals through their instagram hashtag "florcore".

"Flowers are meant to pair with other flowers - what do you think a bouquet is? Same goes for clothes," Oh says.

As with bouquets, a sense of organised chaos is required, so look to tonal prints that easily complement each other. Finer micro floral prints are a good combination (Liberty print floral shirts from Dalston are a great starting point, #1) and provide a subtle alternative to the bold and brazen painterly floral prints around.

Alternatively, accessories provide plenty of opportunity to work floral into your look - a floral silk scarf (there are several luxe options to choose from at Salvatore Ferragamo from DFS Galleria or Louis Vuitton, #3) or a handbag with a floral motif paired with a simple floral print summer dress. Florals were on show at Paris Fashion Week recently. Phoebe Philo for Celine has pioneered the return of clean cut minimalism since her debut for the luxury house in 2009, and the inclusion of mixed floral print dresses in her collection for spring 2015 was a surprising new direction for the designer. Among her new looks were a charming retro marigold floral print that was pieced with a finer floral print for one spectacular floor-length dress.

Photos / Greg Bowker

1 Dalston shirt, $225. Trelise Cooper dress, $429 and necklace, $69. Mimco slingback flats, $299.
2 Twenty-seven Names cardigan, $449. Vaughan Geeson skirt, $295. Sol Sana mules, $210. Prada sunglasses, $515, from Sunglass Hut.
3 Beth Ellery belted shirt dress, $425. Louis Vuitton silk scarf, $690 and bag, $6050. Sol Sana heels, $250.
4 Caroline Sills tunic dress, $235. Trelise Cooper pants, $399. Citta sun hat, $229. Sol Sana heels, $250.
5 Kate Sylvester dress, $525. Mi Piaci bag, $260 and heels, $240.
6 Trelise Cooper dress, $699. Staple & Cloth belt, $129. Harman Grubisca mules, $599.

Stockists

• Beth Ellery
• Caroline Sills
• Citta
• Dalston (09) 378 0578
• Harman Grubisa
• Kate Sylvester
• Louis Vuitton 0800 586 966
• Mimco (09) 361 5071
• Mi Piaci
• Sol Sana (09) 378 0072
• Staple & Cloth
• Sunglass Hut 080 607 895
• Trelise Cooper
• Twenty-seven Names
• Vaughan Geeson