Fleur Du Mal Encore

A nineteenth century book of poems by Charles Baudelaire imagined Deception-Decadence-Debauchery.

As she felt herself darken, she thought about the roots she held on to, the soil that nurtured her, the light that guided her, and what led to her premature decay. Her friends told her she would wilt someday, for it was only natural, but while she breathed her last, she looked down on the ground and stared at the mossy expanse, wondering how long she'd lay on the floor, as a cushion for insects and dew drops, before she would say goodbye to the only view she ever knew. The jardin of fools.

We are all just flowers more botanical than we think we are ready to be plucked, preyed upon by bees and leered at by the world around us.

Above all, we are a walking garden. It is an exploration of the dark side of life... that so preoccupies ... of finding new ways of exploring this darkness and subjects of moral degradation ... themes of decay, decadence and a refined sensuality. There exists a deep interest in human vice and the artifice of human nature. It all finds expression in this collection to convey decadence or a sense of melancholy or a morbid bloom or sensuality ... Perhaps, this was meant to be a parody of the traditional Queen's crown ... the beauty in decay of the flower. Or maybe, a comment on the fleeting nature of youth, love, fame and stature. Who knows?

'Fleurs Du Mal... encore,' the SS17 collection by Little Shilpa, is a series of looks devoted to this dual beautiful and evil side of human life, where motion and growth is the only constant.

Crepe silk, viscose, lycra and ribs in a mix of textures and prints form the foundation over which silhouettes from Twenties inspired dresses and sport-luxe gowns branch out. The floral buds of the plant come by way of headpieces with elements that range from floral masks, crowns to hand-embroidered skull caps. The collection also includes epaulets, neck pieces and bow-ties, completing the jardin with striped ribbons, and flowers –Perspex, plastic and hand-embroidered- to set the mood.