Exhibition: Florals Bloom Beyond Fashion as Paris Unveils a Monumental New Design Experience

Florals are reigning supreme this year, but not in the traditional sense. Across fashion, contemporary art and interior design, flowers are being radically reinterpreted as sculptural, immersive and thought-provoking creations.

Sculptural dress and shoes by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, for her "18th Century Punk" Haute Couture Collection,  as presented at Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing: The Skills of Fashioning exhibition at Palais Galliera in Paris 
Photo by Lucia Carpio

Fashion designers are moving beyond delicate botanical prints, instead embracing structural 3D appliqués, sheer romantic detailing and bold, contemporary tailoring. Flowers are no longer decorative motifs confined to fabric. They are challenging conventional garment silhouettes through texture, three-dimensional craftsmanship and surrealist forms that transform clothing into wearable works of art.

Chanel evening dress by Karl Lagerfeld, Haute Couture SS 2019
as presented at Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing: The Skills of Fashioning, at
Palais Galliera in Paris 
Photo by Lucia Carpio

The resurgence is also being celebrated institutionally.  Currently at the Palais Galliera in Paris is exploring the enduring influence of the floral motif in haute couture through its landmark exhibition, Weaving, Embroidering, Embellishing: The Skills of Fashioning which runs until October 2026. Bringing together more than 350 garments, textile samples, tools and archival materials, the exhibition examined the extraordinary craftsmanship behind weaving, embroidery, lace-making, artificial flowers and decorative embellishment, all united by a single theme: the flower.

Le Grand Bouquet
from Uchronia at Le Grand Palais, Paris

The same creative evolution is taking place in the worlds of art and design. Florals are experiencing a major renaissance, shifting from subtle background decoration to commanding centrepieces. Contemporary artists are using botanical forms to explore themes of climate, identity and material innovation, creating monumental site-specific installations rather than traditional paintings.

This creative movement will take centre stage during Paris Design Week 2026 (10 to 19 September 2026 ), when the Grand Palais becomes home to one of the festival's most anticipated installations. Created by design studio Uchronia, Le Grand Bouquet is a monumental sculptural flower that appears to emerge from the Rotonde d'Antin, transforming the historic setting into an immersive world of colour, form and architecture.

In a recent interview, Uchronia founder Julien Sebban explained that the project was inspired by the architecture itself.

"Discovering the Rotonde d'Antin at the Grand Palais, one thing became clear: to create a work that would not merely fit into this space but would emerge from it," he said. "Le Grand Bouquet was born from this intuition. A monumental flower blooms there, drawing its lines and curves from the surroundings."

Sebban revealed that every architectural detail influenced the design, from the mosaic floors and floral ornamentation to the vegetal mouldings and circular geometry of the rotunda.

Colour, a defining characteristic of Uchronia's work, plays a central role in the installation, while its monumental scale has been carefully conceived to enhance the visitor experience rather than overwhelm it.

Outside the Grand Palais, an inflatable sculptural structure extends the experience before visitors even enter the building.

For Uchronia, Le Grand Bouquet blurs the boundaries between architecture, design, scenography and contemporary art.

The project also celebrates craftsmanship through collaborations with Atelier François Pouenat, Chromatic and PPG, Tréca Paris, Prelle, Tiptoe, Fenix and Material Bank, each contributing specialist expertise to create the layered, immersive installation.

Ultimately, Sebban hopes visitors leave with something simple yet profound.

The experience continues beyond the installation itself, extending into the Grand Palais concept store where Uchronia has created a collection of distinctive design objects inspired by the project.

As Paris Design Week transforms the French capital into a living atlas of contemporary creativity from 10 to 19 September 2026.  While Le Grand Bouquet promises to be one of its defining attractions - a spectacular dialogue between colour, shape, architecture and craftsmanship  - Paris Design Week will transform the Left Bank into a vibrant showcase of creativity, inviting visitors to explore a carefully curated trail of galleries, studios, showrooms and cultural venues around the Luxembourg Gardens. Blending newly opened spaces with long-established design institutions, each destination offers fresh inspiration and unexpected discoveries in the heart of Paris.