The origins of the rose motif

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare.

Have you wondered what the fuss is about roses, and why indeed, is it the preferred flower both for when you need to either impress or seek forgiveness from a romantic partner?
'Tis February now, the 'season of love' and it prompted me to do a deep dive into the fascinating history behind this lovely flower, and how its influence crept into fashion and culture through the ages.

Much art has been created around this exquisitely beautiful flower.
Sure, it's beautiful and delicate but its dark side, seen in its thorns exists too. Cultivated for over 30 million years according to fossil history, this dichotomy has made it a symbol for romance and danger, sensuality and debauchery, in equal measure.

The rose in mythology

In Greek mythology, it was believed that roses are red because Aphrodite hurt herself on their thorns and stained the flower red with her blood! Closer home, Ayurveda has long used the rose for its healing and aesthetic properties, while the age of Sufism saw the beauty of the rose being tied to the beauty of the beloved in a lot of Islamic poetry. In Christianity, the rose became a symbol of the Virgin Mary.

Interestingly, while roses have become rather gendered now and associated nearly always with women or gender non-conforming people, it used to be worn almost exclusively by men as perfume - women would prefer stronger scents.
The rose also stands as a metaphor for sexuality - its symmetry and the petals were compared by 18th century naturalists to the womb and vulva, and its stamen considered phallic. It has since also been used in other sexual metaphors in music, art and literature. Poets and writers have waxed eloquent numerous times about its fleeting beauty. In fact, Bob Dylan once said that his greatest artistic inspiration was “A Red, Red Rose” by the Scottish bard Robbie Burns.

The rose as rebellion & subversion

The FIT Museum, New York, recently curated Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion; a spectacular fashion exhibit that looks at the way the rose and its symbolism inspired generations of couturiers, artists and poets, featuring over 130 ensembles from the 18th century to the present day. The complex and many-layered themes include chastity, romance, spring, sin, desire, sex and drama.

Fashion designers like Valentino, Dries van Noten and Yves Saint Laurent have often presented either a romantic or modern interpretation of the rose, from couture gowns to silhouettes for bags - like the Valentino Atelier Rose.
Alexander McQueen lent his signature avant-garde, modern interpretation of the rose to the jacket seen above with dramatic satin rosette sleeves, and has often also used the black rose to great effect in some of his work. There is an underlying subversion of the typical usage of the flower in these designs.
Looking back at history, the rose has stood for anti-authoritarian movements like communism since the 1800s. The most tragically well-known resistance group was the 'White Rose', a student group led by Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans, against the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

So, why do we give people roses then?

A recent TIME magazine article credits Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of a British ambassador to Turkey in the 18th century. She misread a certain Turkish practice and spread the concept of covert, symbolic communication with your lover, with red roses.
As to why we really give the object of our affection roses? They smell wonderful, can be transported easily and are beautiful and timeless! Who would've thought that a woman's misinterpretation of a Turkish custom would make roses a love language :)