And while the crops in question (turnips, carrots and radishes) were closer to a medieval peasant’s diet than classic green juice ingredients, they have never looked more modern. Particularly when modelled by Emily Blunt at her recent premiere for The Fall Guy. Her produce print was undoubtedly head-turning, at the same time adding the perfect pop of colour to her high-necked top and baggy trousers. A number of fashion commentators questioned why we hadn’t been swapping florals for veggies all along.
Loewe may be the leader of the vegetable pack, but it is far from alone. Radishes feature unexpectedly heavily in jewellery – French label Cilea have some pretty ceramic offerings in clip ons, as do Wolf & Moon. Hot on the heels of last year’s “Tomato Girl” summer, French brand Sézane is back with a caprese salad-like shirt, while Alémais is selling canned tomatoes on a designer budget. New York-based label Collina Strada not only printed tomatoes on trousers but constructed an entire farmer’s market stall for their New York catwalk.
Meanwhile British brand Kitri has a fresh-looking take with a green and white lettuce printed dress, and for fans of flavoursome herbs, similar designs featuring bunches of mint and rosemary. London-based label Drake’s even has an avocado-print jumper – ideal for the millennial shopper who literally wants to wear their breakfast – while Jacquemus has an artichoke-print shirt for the boys and Wrap London offers a similar style for the girls.
So why the sudden love of greens? Well, wedded as we are to florals, they can look a little same-y and a tad traditional, whereas anything from the vegetable aisle feels fresh, modern and a bit different.
“We had lots of citrus fruits a few years ago and they were fun, but this new trend is definitely more eye-catching,” says stylist Arabella Greensill. “Emily Blunt’s dress would not have garnered the attention it did if it had been covered in roses or lemons, would it?”
And while other bold prints can feel a little childish, very few under-10s want their clothes emblazoned with the foods they like the least, which means carrots, artichokes and broccoli heads are rich pickings for veggie-inspired grown-ups.
Wellness and the obsession with staving off the effects of ageing for as long as possible play a part, no doubt, while an article from CNN suggesting food insecurity could soon turn the humble radish into a luxury item perhaps sowed a seed in the fashion world.
Mostly though, prints like these make you smile. “I like this idea of humour in clothing,” Jonathan Anderson told Vogue in an interview. “Squashes on jeans. A peach in the middle of a sweater. Something that makes you grin.”