The Autumn Mood

A new season means new inspiration, and if you’re not familiar with this approach, at the beginning of a brand new season I like to create a mood board for the months ahead. It’s a chance to sit, be inspired and open up our minds to the possibilities of what’s to come.

In my Summer post I shared the importance of looking outside your interests, niches and industries in order to get a fresh perspective on ideas, and with Autumn being a time of newness, it’s a good exercise to remind yourself of what you really align with.

So if you’re thinking there’s not many flowers on this mood board - that’s precisely the point.

FIG. I The Autumn Sow Society mood board

This might sound a little weird, but I believe everyone has a season. It’s the time of year when they feel most themselves. Whether that comes from motivation, events, weather, the way you dress, the activities you take part in. It’s when you really thrive in the grand scheme of the year.

For me, and I’m sure lots of you too, that’s Autumn. The combination of everything I like just aligns in this wonderful season. So this mood board came together particularly easily.

FIG. II Black Mountain - An Interdisciplinary Experiment 1933-1957

This image feels very nostalgic of my childhood in Somerset. On our bike rides as kids we’d often see farmers working away in the fields harvesting all their crops.

Harvesting hops, apples, wheat - all happens in late Summer, early Autumn and it’s a sign of the seasonal change. We featured apples in our Wedding and Events Campaign shoot a few weeks ago, but also in the Autumn 01 Edit. And we’ve not seen the last of these important materials yet here at Sow Society.

FIG. III Under the old chestnut tree via New York Public Library

We can’t talk about Autumn and not mention trees. Conkers or chestnuts, pine cones - all currently in abundance on the floors of our local woods. This is a chestnut tree and the spiky, round green balls are actually one of my favourite foliages to use this time of year. There’s something about the harshness of the spikes and the size of the leaves that really add something to an arrangement.

FIG. IV Erdem SS25 collection via Erdem Moralioglu Instagram

Years ago when I worked at Erdem we would create some of the most amazing flowers using beads, sequins and intricate embroidery. It has recently been fashion week, and if like me you follow some of the designers and shows, you probably would have noticed a lot of texture and embellishment being used.

These flowers reminded me that as the season starts to draw in and the flowers begin to fade, the focal flowers that are used in floristry really start to take centre stage. There’s less around them to make them fight for attention, so they almost become bigger and more impactful somehow.

FIG. VII Chrysanthemum by Wilhelm Weimar

Leading us on nicely to Chrysanthemums - their prime season is September to November here in the UK and there are so many different varieties to choose from.

I particularly like the more structural, unruly varieties than the more classic types you see in bouquets. I've got a guide in the works on my favourite Autumnal flowers, so if you're wondering what's in season over the next few months - it will be filled with some gems.

Image Credits:

FIG. I Tree Study (Autumn Foliage) John Linnell 1828

FIG. II Miu Miu mules

FIG. III Peter Schlesinger

FIG. IV Chrysanthemums Acres - Seed Trade catalogue 1941

FIG. V Chrysanthemum by Wilhelm Weimar

FIG. VI Black Mountain - An Interdisciplinary Experiment 1933-1957

FIG. VII French antique woven fabric sample 1835

FIG. VIII Erdem SS25 collection via Erdem Moralioglu

FIG. IX Pears and Grapes by William Scott

FIG. X Méthode de composition ornementale by Grasset, Eugène 1841-1917

FIG. XI Hans Arp catalogue of works by Jane Hancock and Stefanie Poley

FIG. XII Under the old chestnut tree via New York Public Library -

FIG. XIII Kan Yasuda, Myomu (Key to a Dream) 2008

FIG. XIV Sabrina Bezerra

FIG. XV Guy Bourdin for Kenzo