Composition "Strange Beauty"

There is a particular beauty in a garden once its summer of glory is over. The colours fade, the edges go soft, imperfections creep in. Dries Van Noten, who has gardened for decades outside Antwerp, built a whole collection on that moment, photographing his late-season flowers with their spots and flaws and turning them into prints for Autumn/Winter 2019. He called the result a strange beauty. He has also spoken of taking risks by putting flowers together in strange ways, and the press has a name for his habit: impossible combinations.

This flower arrangement is one of them, made from autumn flowers (fall flowers, if you are reading this in New York). Big chrysanthemums the colour of champagne gone slightly warm. Garden roses turning to peach. Celosia like crushed velvet, orange berries, and amaranth that refuses to stand up straight, falling in long tassels over the side of the vase. The English call it love-lies-bleeding.

Nothing here is trying to be perfect. One flower opens while another begins to let go, and both belong. Nature runs this cycle every season and lets us watch it again and again; to me that is the real luxury.

A statement piece for a living room, a dinner table, a gallery or a shoot. It rewards a close look, and it keeps changing while you are looking.

Made to order: message me on WhatsApp before you order. Delivered in Paris, Monday to Saturday; delivery is free from €100.

Some flower substitutions may occur if we find that the quality of the delivered blooms isn't up to our standards, but the overall color palette and style will remain intact.