London In Bloom - Spring Florals

Mount Street Gardens.

Spring has finally sprung - at least here in London. Temperatures are rising, the days are getting longer and the sun is making more frequent appearances. But of course Spring would be nothing without the beauty of blossoming flowers. And because the eight cherry trees in front of my living room window are a constant reminder of how wonderful this time of the year can be, I've been inspired to hunt down more floral delights in the shape of both the real thing and the fashion world's recurring love affair with the flower print.

Are you embracing floral patterns this season? Or would you prefer to just admire the botanical version instead? I know that there are a few pieces below I wouldn't mind owning...

Mulberry flagship window display (Bond Street).

Left: A stunning gown from Central Saint Martins graduate Hermione de Paula. Right: A blossoming tree in East London.

Left: Liberty's flower section. Right: A fun print on a Christopher Kane SS11 dress.

Current season Alexander McQueen (skull) scarves take on a floral twist.

Left: A vibrant dress by Cacharel. Right: Flower power at London's Bankside.

Claude Monet's Water-Lilies (1916), photographed at the Tate Modern.

Left: More flowers in front of Liberty. Right: A beautiful Dries van Noten piece.

Left: A modern take on the floral trend from Thakoon. Right: Jonathan Saunders mixes flowers with graphics.

Liberty's current in-store display, caught in a blur.

Another Jonathan Saunders creation.

Left: One of the many cherry blossoms in front of my window. Right: A gorgeous draped Vivienne Westwood dress featuring pink flowers.

Printemps Loves New York (Paris, France)

A short while after NYFW, the Parisian department store Printemps launched a 'Printemps loves New York' special, which included store windows dedicated to NYC, in-store displays, a large assortment of items hailing from the U.S. and a few limited edition pieces. Curious to see what the French deemed typically American (or NYC), I was greeted by what I assume to be a paint-splattered King Kong sitting near the corner entrance. Other icons presented, included everything from giant doughnuts and cupcakes to SpongeBob and Superman - the latter could even be found in-store. Not to be ignored of course: the lovely clothes on display, ranging from the likes of Marc Jacobs to Proenza Schouler.

For some reason the above display was changed to this a few weeks later:

Shearling leather coat by Rick Owens, ltd. edition Vogue t-shirt.

Close-ups of some of the outfits:

From left: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren.

From left: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Rick Owens.

The fun continued inside, where I spotted foodie items, such as the fairly conventional Campbell Soup cans or the slightly more hard-to-find Dean & Deluca treats. Special edition t-shirts designed by brands such as Opening Ceremony were on sale, as were smaller gift items from MOMA. And if you really want to take it to the next level, I suggest you pick up an Obama brooch or a hot dog necklace. There was also a wonderful selection of cupcakes and cheesecakes on the lower level, though my drooling prevented me from taking any pictures there...

Giant spray cans in-store and special edition t-shirts.

Another superman (above). Neon lights and wall art adorned the stairwell area (below).

Some of the goodies included Jackie O and Obama pins, a hot dog necklace, MOMA souvenirs, Dean & Deluca coffee and an assortment of soups, salad dressing and Marshmallow Fluff.

For previous Printemps events and window displays (including the much-loved Alice in Wonderland feature or the Christmas special), please click here.