All eyes were on London designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu at last night’s Fashion Awards. Not only did she win the Vanguard Award – which celebrates a British designer who demonstrates creativity and cultural leadership – but she accepted it whilst wearing a dress from her own label: a see through corset dress, covered entirely in cherries.
“Being a Dilara girl, it means something. It’s emotional, and it’s f***ing up the system,” she told Dazed. And she certainly served a killer look.
But it’s not just Fındıkoğlu. Cherries have been springing up everywhere these last few months – from the fashion set at festivals, to Dua Lipa on one of her famous holidays, to nail art.
We’re talking cherry embroidered bags, dresses, tops and earrings. Lipa wore a bikini decorated with cherry accessories earlier this year, while Zendaya, Julia Fox and Emily Ratajkowski have all rocked the colour over the course of the year (we’re thinking of Zendaya’s red leather Louis Vuitton dress, which she wore on a date night with fiancé Tom Holland).
Dilara Fındıkoğlu
Dave Bennett
Cherries have always occupied a bit of an odd place in fashion. In the 1940s, cherry earrings on pin-up girls were the order of the day; in the 1950s, the print was a staple on dresses and napkins.
By the Noughties, they were being printed onto Juicy tracksuits and baby tees – so is it any wonder that, with nostalgia being the order of the day, that they’re officially back and on our Instagram feeds, albeit with an extra romantic twist these days.
With Christmas on the way, the trend shows no sign of going anywhere soon – so we thought we’d round up our favourite cherry-themed items to rock this festive season (and beyond). Scroll for inspiration.
Coach
Luxury bag brand Coach knows what the people want – and it is in fact this extremely cute bag accessory. They come studded with crystals, they come in shades of gold and silver, but we prefer the original, which is perfect for adding a bit of personality to any bag strap.
Ganni
It’s a classic, but by god, it’s a classic for a reason. Scandi cool-girl brand Ganni made its name with its achingly cool slogan tees, and that of course includes a cherry print one. Wear with jeans, wear with heels – it goes with anything, and the compliments are guaranteed.
Reformation Kristine Dress
Reformation
Thank goodness for warmer winters, which mean we’re able to get away with wearing items like this to the work Christmas party. Or, to that winter getaway somewhere warm: it’s that versatile. Crafted sustainably, and featuring a sweet tiny cherry print as well as an off-the-shoulder sleeve, it’s certainly statement making. And if you’re not a fan, then no worries: Reformation also has a sleeveless minidress with a big cherry print that fits the bill nicely. Wear it with tights if it’s cold. Or don’t.
Peraluna
Fancy something a bit warmer to wear over the winter months? That’s okay! Peraluna has you covered. The small-scale Turkish knitwear brand has a collection on British small-brand fashion site Wolf and Badger – among which are its knitted cardigans, which come in cream and boast hand-embroidered cherries. It’s exceptionally cute; no wonder it’s selling it out.
Zara cherry-stripe bandana
Zara
You can count on Zara to know what’s hot and what’s not, and true to form, they have quite a few cherry-themed items in their range right now. We like the cherry hair clip, but top of the list might have to be this striped bandana (so good for staying warm in winter) which feature the added delights of two little beaded cherry accessories.
Damson Madder’s homeware
Damson Madder
For those who’d rather use cherries as a piece of home decoration rather than wearing them, London brand Damson Madder might have the answer. Its newly-launched homeware line features (among other things) cherry-printed aprons, placemats, serving plates and oven gloves. It’s giving 50s housewife, but with a fun twist.
