Of Spring, colours, and florals

Spring arrives like the stroke of an artist's brush—lively, colourful, and hopeful. With winter's drabness behind us, we welcome colours that promise renewal and prints that sing the praise of flowers in full bloom.

This year, designers are basking in the zest of spring, bringing forth collections that echo the verdure of nature. What's new in 2025? Perhaps not much, not yet, but how colour and flowers are handled by the designer is the important part. 

This year, spring fashion is all about storytelling in fabrics, bringing art to fashion, and being respectful to heritage but making it fresh for Gen Z style influencers.

Biplob Saha's artistic spring

For fashion designer-turned-painter Biplob Saha, fabric is not just fabric—it's a canvas. His latest collection, 'Painting on Fashion,' comes alive with masterpieces of paintings, combining high art with wearable fashion. From sharis to fotuas, his designs replicate the strokes of master painters, creating a confluence of heritage and contemporary fashion.

Photo: Bishworang

"Charukala has always been my creative birthplace," says Biplob. 

"This line is my tribute to the grand masters of the Bangladesh painting fraternity. I would like today's generation to find art—not just in galleries, but in the clothes they wear every day."

For example, his shari in the style of Van Gogh is a breathtaking combination of the artist's Starry Night and Bangladeshi attire. The deep blue colour of the fabric and the swirling patterns are reminiscent of the movement of the painting in the sky, mirroring the energetic power of Van Gogh's brushstrokes. The lower portion of the shari has a colourful reinterpretation of Starry Night, combined with sunflowers—a signature of Van Gogh's artistry.

Among the most striking details is the painted steam train, incorporated into the twirling night sky and sunflower fields of golden yellow. The sense of motion and nostalgia introduced by this unexpected addition signifies movement, travel, and the combination of past and present. The golden touches on the sunflowers and deep blue whirls provide a lovely contrast, as if Van Gogh used contrasting colours to move the emotions. 

The same aesthetic fusion can be seen in a top featuring Picasso's paintings, which are seamlessly duplicated on fabric and worn as artwork, and in two other outstanding works.

They are striking and gentle, like the very fibres infusing the taste of a brush's strokes by an artist's hand, transforming everyday garments into kinetic masterpieces.

Tanha Sheikh's playful silhouettes

For designer Tanha Sheikh, the founder and creative head at Taan, spring is not just a colour palette—it's a shape, motion, and form game. Steering clear of the mass market's conformity, she toys with oversized blouses, wonky skirts, and unexpected silhouettes, all derived from tradition-based craftsmanship.

Photo: Taan

"I love experimenting with shapes and forms," Tanha states. 

"I use kantha stitches and indigenous motifs but in a manner that resonates with Gen Z. Cotton is the material I feel most at ease with, and I experiment with it so that I create something new—something that makes young fashion lovers feel like they're wearing art."

Her collection blends nostalgia and modernity so harmoniously that tradition does not remain confined to books but evolves with contemporary tastes.

Zainab Maqsood's 'Phool Banu'

While spring florals are nothing new in fashion, Amira's Zainab Maqsood infuses a deeply personal touch into her latest collection, Phool Banu. The name itself carries a sentimental meaning, and reflects her cherished memories and deep-rooted love for flowers—a passion she shares with her father.

Photo: Amira

Drawing inspiration from his garden, she transforms his affection for blooms into a vibrant, wearable narrative featuring co-ord sets and traditional kameez, each piece blossoming with intricate floral patterns and lively hues.

"My father maintains a garden at our factory, and that is how I grew to adore florals," she states. 

"Spring is the colour palette of Mother Nature, and we've taken it to the extreme with bright, pop colours. To any celebratory occasion or even an ordinary day out, I wish our collection to give the wearer joy and confidence."

Amira's new line is evidence that fashion isn't merely about attire—it's memory, emotion, and personal story stitched into fabric.

Photo: Amira

Spring, in all its hue, reminds us that fashion is a mirror of life itself—ever-changing, ever-blooming. Whether in dramatic art prints, whimsical shapes, or floral nostalgia, this season's designers are inviting us to celebrate renewal with each stitch we wear.