If every flower carries a secret code (red roses stand for love, mums mean death) then carnations can probably be said to signify…cheap. Regarded as only suitable for sale in bodegas and grocery stores and primarily worn by pimply adolescents on middle-school dates, the carnation is a flower that is almost universally scorned. But dig a bit deeper and you’ll find a group of supremely fashionable—and influential—dianthus caryophyllus fans who are helping to restore the flower’s once-regal status.
