With a profound source of inspiration and delight, flowers are at the heart of our collections. Each new range illustrates how integral flowers are to the essence of NoLoGo, either as prints, embroideries or the pretty petal colours of our plain dyed and colour-woven garments.
As we sit, watch and wonder at what is going on in this world, a new season unfolds, bringing sunshine, warmth, birdsong and the delight of flowers bursting into bloom with beautiful colours only nature can provide.
Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Hearts have fluttered, been broken or mended by the sight or gift of a single flower.
Irises are a symbol of true love, tender love and friendship. A flower rooted in Greek mythology, Iris, the goddess of the rainbow was used by Zeus to send messages to humankind, carrying messages from heaven to earth and was a companion to female souls on their way to heaven.
The practice of using the iris in the form of a symbol or emblem may possibly traced back to prehistoric India and Egypt, where the flower actually symbolized life. Certainly, during the middle ages, the iris was the inspiration for the fleur-de-lis, a decorative symbol used by the French royalty and nobility. No ordainary flower, it has many medicinal properties and was listed in ancient Arab pharmacopoeia before being grown at French monasteries under Charlemagne, particularly for use as a cough remedy. An essential ingredient in fine scents and pefume, its recorded history in perfumery began in the 17th century. Les Précieuses – the witty, intellectual, courtly ladies of the day – appreciated the iris for having a fragrance close to that of the violet and applied copious quantities of iris powder to beautify their faces.
The iris grows from a rhizome, the name of an underground stem to which the roots are attached. The Iris pallida (“pale iris”) used in perfumery grows primarily in the sun-drenched soil of Tuscany between Siena and Florence. For many of us, however, it is the flower of striking blues, deep lilac and purple-pinks, with just a hint of gold accented into the fold of one of the three petals, which appear in gardens during the early summer.
With our continuing deep gratitude for the wonder of nature, NoLoGo have chosen this extraordinary flower this season as a print for our fabulous Iris Tunic. The long intertwining pale green leaves and stems with its vivid violet-blue petals is a magnificent example of our deep fondness for flowers. Iris, whose story mingles with goddesses and nobilty is seen in its dynamic glory in the vibrancy of Van Gogh's painting, which surely the greatest tribute to this elegant flower.
Love is the flower you've got to let grow. John Lennon
