6 Flower-Inspired Dresses by Local Designers

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

• The designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State Street. [Top photo: via Facebook; rest: Jenny Berg]
• Alyssa Kahle of Alyssa Kristin designed a dress inspired by a calla lily. "The crisp lines and structure of my garment capture the essence of the [flower]," she said. Its secret? The dress can be worn as a simple sh
• Lagi Nadeau was inspired by the Desert Candle's "bright orange color, unique texture, and shape." Made from an orange silk-wool fabric, the dress "mimes the silhouette of the [flower]: slender on top and fuller at the
• Takado Yamanaka's dress is inspired by the Boat Orchid. "The vibrant shades of pink, subtle yellows, and distinctly shaped petals of the [flower] provided my inspiration," she said. The dress has a hidden, sheer underskirt.
• Grace Lee-Lim of Lee Lim was drawn to the "radiant purple hues" of the Lady Slipper. "Especially because it's the Pantone color of the year," she said. "I mimicked the speckled accents from the Lady Slipper on the go
• Shelby Steiner took her cues from the Juniper Topiary. "I was initially attracted to the topiary because of its odd shape, and that it was cut and trimmed by a creator," she said. "Like the plant, my design has been
• Olivia Hwang's design pays homage to the daffodil. "I constructed a light ivory Charmeuse inner structure and layered a gold, delicate Chantilly lace on top," she said. Daffodils are also called narcissus. Inspire

Macy's Flower Show, "The Secret Garden," opened on Sunday and runs through April 6. Free and open to the public, the event features lush indoor gardens and a slew of in-store events.

New this year, the six designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State Street designed garden-party looks inspired by the show. Take a look at their designs below, and get to know the budding talents behind each frock.

· Chicago Fashion Incubator [Official Site]
· Macy's Flower Show 2014 [Official Site]