The use of the heart motif in fashion has stood the test of time as well as the vagaries of fashion. With Valentine's Day upon us, THE FIFTH COLLECTION takes a look back in time and pick out the hearts that have touched our own the most.

by Angie Chen

The use of the heart print in fashion has stood the test of time and the vagaries of fashion, and with Valentine's Day upon us, THE FIFTH COLLECTION takes a look back in time and pick out the hearts that have touched our own the most.

Elsa Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion designer, was known for her regular use of this beloved symbol in her prints, often in the shocking pink colour that has become synonymous with the designer; not surprisingly, therefore, a 90s re-release of her signature perfume 'Shocking’ was branded with a stylized heart in the famous pink. Schiaparelli influenced many designers, notably Yves Saint Laurent who considered the heart one of his favourite motifs, and which he often used in his prêt-a-porter collections, jewelry designs, accessories and advertising campaigns.

THE FIFTH COLLECTION actually has its very own Yves Saint Laurent heart on our office wall in the form of an original vintage 1989 Christmas poster designed by the legend himself, and we are lucky to have a few heart-themed pieces of Yves Saint Laurent jewelry pieces that will be made available soon on our site.

Franco Moschino is another designer that was influenced by Schiaparelli and used the heart symbol prolifically in his runway collections and is today closely associated with the brand, especially in the 90s. The print was used prominently in his Chic and Cheap collection and his signature Cuori print was used as a pattern on a Philippe Starck designed chair for Kartell in 2010. More recently, Moschino collaborated with online retail stalwarts Rent The Runway to create a collection using the iconic heart symbol that has infused its thirty-year history.

Aside from the grand dames and dukes of European fashion, the irreverent Rei Kawakubo of Comme Des Garcons, undisputed queen of the unconventional and avant-garde, is also a fan of the humble heart. The Comme Des Garcons PLAY line, with its iconic heart logo designed by artist Filip Pagowski, originally started out with shirts and has ventured on to successful partnerships with Coca Cola, Converse and A Bathing Ape, not to mention products such as heart-tipped nail appliqués and perfumes. THE FIFTH COLLECTION loves how the heart has remained a fashion constant while continually being reinvented and reinterpreted. For this Valentine’s Day, here’s our selection of immortal hearts, including some from our collection available soon.