All Buttoned Up

A few weeks back we had the honor to spruce up the setting for Conde Nast Achievement Awards, an event we have helped produce for the past three years. In years past the event was held at the St Regis, but this year we worked at MOMA which I have always loved working in. MOMA is an ideal platform for corporate events. The space is designed to feature artwork in a clean unfettered environment so that the work speaks for itself. I feel it accomplishes the same effect with event design. The tastemakers at Conde Nast appreciate simplicity and an austere approach to decorating events. As you know by now, my true passion lies in the chaos and imperfection of nature but I also truly enjoy delivering a restrained feel for the appropriate occasion. I guess you could say this is the Dr Jekle to our Mr Hyde- with the exception that I hope they are both loved equally. :)

The Old and The New

It's that time again when the remnants of last year's seedling garden are twisted around their stakes with no promise of renewal, unless of course they are torn out and used as props in a flower arrangement. My park visit earlier this week inspired me in many ways but an obvious one was the intermingling of dried vegetation with new growth. I was particular drawn to the beauty of dried vines and branches against blooms of the early spring. Yesterday I decided to harvest the dried annual vines I planted lasted year in my border garden along with their natural plant trellises made from long rose branches. Here they have been added to an elevated weeping composition and the contrast between the dead and the living materials add an earthiness which is quite naturalistic, combining accents of neutral browns and tans creating depth and complexity to the color palette as well as textural contrasts whose lines create accidental plays of movement defining the various parts of the arrangement. Nature is chaotic but not without an intrinsic geometry.

Happy Birthday Sis

Today felt like the first day of Spring and it is! It is also my big sister's birthday. I decided to give her a post and make a bright Spring Arrangement for her to enjoy as her own.
I love you Alejandra!!! Happy Birthday!!!

White, Gold and Violet

I spent Sunday in our sun drenched studio working on variations of this arrangement to photograph for Traditional Home Magazine. Features Editor Doris Athineos with her impeccable taste sent over a Seguso Sommerso vase which was an atypical choice for me but in the end a fun assignment. I would not have normally paired this type of loose Spring garden-style arrangement with such a modern vase but the result is both modern and romantic.

Thanks Trad Home for the shout out! I hope we can do more of these together!

Winter? Fast Forward- Spring

A sweet arrangement for a mother expecting twins. Ingredients include Garden Roses, Icelandic Poppies, Parrot Tulips, Queen Anne's Lace, Dusty Miller, Fringed tulips, Begonia Blossoms, Fritillaria, Jasmine, Seeded Eucalyptus, White Cherry, Stock and Phlox.

The Flower Dance

Anemones remind me of blushing ballerinas in tutus.

This trophy urn took an inordinate amount of time to polish back to life and so, once it's grimy tarnish was removed it was filled with Spirea which is unusually out of season yet sprouting leaves and little blossoms. Weird!

Pussy willow, Eucalyptus Brunia and Queen Anne's lace set the stage for the blown Anemones, Tulips and Peonies. This time of year parrot tulips actually show up pure white. Their tattered edges are so gracefully expressive and graphic.

I was thinking today about what's happening in the floral design world and how exciting it is to see so many truly inspired young designers working with the materials in such masterly ways. At last the bar for floristry has been set off into the stratosphere elevating the craft of floristry into the realm of fine arts. I love it! And I am very grateful to all the young ambitious designers who are not selling out and producing floral decorations not seen since Constance Spry gave the world of flowers wings and the freedom of individuality. I've always tried to stay true to my own individualistic approach and whenever I felt something was verging on gimmicky it was time to move on to something new. The one thing that never gets cliched with flower arranging is the naturalistic style which is not easy to achieve. It takes a designer with a sculptural eye and a painter's touch. It's not something which can be cranked out en- masse and requires thought, patience and sensitivity. The Art of Japanese Ikebana is based on the principles of balance within a triangular shape using "Ma" or the space between the individual elements to create the energy of movement throughout the arrangement. A naturalistic approach to flower arranging resembles Ikebana in that both the materials and the designer come together to simulate the harmony of the natural world. I may be getting too flower-nerdy-esoteric here but it is relevant to the direction my discipline is taking me. As I mature as a designer and challenge myself to evolve the work becomes more layered and sculptural. Of course not every client wants a romantic loose arrangement and I need to deliver the massed classic umbrella shaped mono-floral arrangement as well- which actually has its own set of challenges of creating a clean design that also has movement but with very little space between each flower. Those are the "corporate flowers" as I refer to them and they are quite lush with an impact of their own. It's always fun to mix it up and deliver a well made arrangement in any style but truth be told, my heart belongs to the wild garden approach.