The whimsical bows that appear on bouquets and other compositions all originated from Lera’s childhood memories of going to the market for flowers with her mother, and the ruffled bows are inspired by French bouquets in the style of jabot. “The woman, unaware of the florist profession, wrapped the bouquets with plastic ribbons, which she tied around the bouquet and twisted with scissors—the ribbons were mostly red, yellow, and, for special occasions, gold,” she recalls. “These same ribbons became tools in our work, and thanks to a collaboration between those memories and my current style, these are the bows you see now.”
This is similar for Sandy, who credits the bow as one of the many symbols of childhood that everyone draws subconsciously. (Other motifs from her memories include stars, hearts, moons, and flowers.) Although bows are in fact trending, the fashion designer argues that this isn’t necessarily a trend. She sees the bow as “something out of nothing,” musing that “it’s so sweet and classic. It’s akin to the rosette you had on your little floral tank growing up. It’s a small detail that brings me back to childhood. Everything I do and create is an effort to get me back to my childhood brain.”
The romance of ribbons in particular is a quiet but commanding force that dates back to the Middle Ages, so it’s fitting that bolder bows would surface now, as medieval aesthetics are mainstream once more. Leo Costelloe, an Australian artist and accessories designer, is at the forefront of the big-bow boom with his assortment of jewelry, decor, and sculptures that are made out of glass, metal, and other materials. “A huge part of my work aims to investigate the way in which feminine aesthetics exist in and subvert patriarchal landscapes, and seeing the bow appropriated so widely is exciting,” he explains in an email. “I think it’s indicative of a wider conversation going on about where we allow for decoration in our lives and encourages people to take a more considered and serious approach to femininity and decoration.”
Leo is drawn in by the bow’s practicality and how “historically they were born out of necessity.” He adds, “They’re an innovative fastening which just so happens to be extremely beautiful. They’re versatile, universal, and they hold things together, but they also have an innate romance to them, and I think that romance is really what draws me to them. They feel tentative and almost liminal in their existence because there’s always the potentiality of an undoing.”
Natasha Ghosn recently unveiled a selection of bows in Mondo Mondo’s new jewelry collection, a motif that’s actively been on her mind since 2008 when she purchased a pack of deadstock bow barrettes in Midtown (leftovers from a bygone craft era). The millennial has been fascinated by the creepy baby doll style taking off in niche corners of the internet, which she feels is loosely related to the big-bow boom we’re experiencing as younger generations elaborating on the grunge-girl era defined by Courtney Love. Although we constantly cycle through trends, Natasha insists that “for something to hit, it has to be timeless.” So for her own spin on the motif, the designer “tried to make it not a precious bow, it’s kind of hard. I feel like The Powerpuff Girls are back and tough, cute girls… I’m into that vibe.”