The Flower Reawakens: Zendaya, Whitney, Carrie and the Legacy of the Corsage
Zendaya’s recent appearance at the Essence event gliding in a sculptural white dress once worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City, and originally created for Whitney Houston by Eugene Alexander in 1987 did more than spark nostalgia. It reignited fashion’s enduring love affair with the flower corsage, a detail that has cycled through decades yet never lost its power to transform a look. One dress, three icons, and a single blooming motif: the corsage is officially back at the centre of the style conversation.
The beauty of the corsage lies in its ability to reinvent a wardrobe with almost no effort. As a stylist, I’ve always kept an entire box of fabric flowers ready to pin onto garments. A simple corsage can shift the mood of an outfit instantly turning a minimal colour‑block dress into a statement, adding dimension to a tank top, or injecting romance into a sharply tailored blazer. Carrie Bradshaw mastered this language of adornment; her corsage brooches became as iconic as her Manolos, proving that a single flower can define an entire character’s aesthetic.
Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City.
Designers, too, are embracing the revival. Dolce & Gabbana have long championed floral appliqués, but for Summer 2026 they’ve gone further, presenting tops with corsages already integrated into the silhouette ready-made drama. At Chanel, Matthieu Blazy has expanded the house’s floral vocabulary beyond the classic camellia, scattering collections with bold, sculptural blooms. Balenciaga’s summer runway offered a full dress drenched in floral applications, a maximalist fantasy that blurred couture and costume. And at Schiaparelli, a tone‑on‑tone red gown adorned with a single oversized corsage delivered pure, theatrical impact the kind of look that stops a room.
Beyond the runways, London offers its own treasure trove for corsage lovers. VV Rouleaux remains a beloved destination for stylists and milliners alike, a place where ribbons, trims, and handcrafted flowers become tools for reinvention. Whether pinned to a lapel, slipped onto a belt, or fastened in the hair, a corsage from VV Rouleaux carries that artisanal charm that elevates even the simplest outfit.
The resurgence of the corsage is more than a trend; it’s a reminder of fashion’s joy, its playfulness, its ability to transform the everyday into something expressive. A flower bold or delicate, sculptural or soft—invites personality back into dressing. It encourages experimentation, storytelling, and a touch of whimsy.
So the question is simple: are you ready to embrace the bloom?