Reviving Victorian Elegance: The Language of Flowers Collection

Bianca Elgar's Award-Winning Print Design Collection

The Language of Flowers Collection is a testament to Elgar's innovative approach to design. It is a set of screen-print designs featuring a mix of different flowers, including the Rose, the Forget-Me-Not, and the Passion Flower. These prints are designed for a collection of fashion garments and accessories, making each piece a unique work of art.

Elgar's design process is a blend of traditional and modern techniques. The designs, initially drafted in pen and ink, are transferred to silk screen panels using a photo-sensitive emulsion process. The designs are built up layer by layer, creating a rich, textured effect. Once quality controlled, the designs are then scanned, scaled, edited and repeated into several patterns and arrangements with creative software.

Each flower symbol in the collection has many subtle variations in colour and shape, thanks to the analogue process used to create the designs. This attention to detail adds a unique touch to each garment and accessory in the collection.

The collection is not just about aesthetics; it's also about functionality. The prints are designed with the accompanying garment in mind, to maximise coverage and aesthetic. The garments are designed to be worn in a variety of ways, allowing for many different ways to position the garment to the wearer’s taste.

The Language of Flowers Collection was designed in Oxford, England over a period of one year. The collection draws inspiration from the floor designs of the Sheikh Zaved Mosque in Abu Dhabi by Kevin Dean and the Victorian Era concept of The Language of Flowers. The designs naturally fell towards the 1960s-70s bold and bright Pop-Art “Flower Power” form that they currently exhibit.

The collection's unique blend of tradition and innovation has earned it a Platinum A' Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design Award in 2018. This prestigious award recognises world-class, exceptional, and highly innovative designs that showcase unmatched professionalism, genius, and contribute to societal wellbeing.