Our Sunday floral story : New floral worlds are explored in Madrid & Mexico City
Come be inspired by all the Madrid Flower School & Flower House Mexico happenings
This particular week each year post the Hallmark Day of Love always makes me yearn for divine floral inspiration to soothe the creative soul. Luckily, both the Madrid Flower School congress and the Flower House Mexico workshop aligned in my stars of stimulation so that I can bring you stories from their settings this Sunday.
First up is a summary of the latest trends, techniques and floral artistry made visible in the Madrid Flower School Congress at the end of January. Sylvia Bustamente who is the co-founder believes "Never underestimate the power of a flower". She then brought together the most current innovative florists to educate floral students in creativity & to discuss the future of floral design.
The flower world seems to be falling into a state of floaty flux as it faces upto sustainability challenges, climate change reducing seasonal floral availability & world tensions making the production and selling of flowers more expensive and difficult daily. These are issues we can get involved in another time but today, how wonderful to focus on floral design we have not seen before...The work created by resident floral artists at this workshop certainly refuted any drifting thought of floral malaise felt in heads all around.
This year, the school featured the following designers : Hamish Powell (UK), Holly Chapple (US), Bloominghaus (UK), Anila Flowers (Spain), Floresie (France), Katie Rose Ellen of Ponderosa & Thyme (US), Freiderica (Italy).
The collaborative community aspect of these workshops to the floral work appeals. The artistry made also highlighted the mindfulness of making joyful flowers. Yes, they were manipulated, twisted, bound & sculpted by the various designers, but the main aim overall was to ignite a passion in all the student floral view of life. From demonstrations to learning how to make large installations to design masterclasses, each attendee must have been blown away with such beauty created.
Together we explored the process of creation from a collaborative point of view, working toward a final product that felt both curious and FUN.
We designed intuitively, allowing mostly the material to lead us, as well as a bit of abstract inspiration from balloon animals and lava lamps. - Hamish Powell
Flower growers from around the world, supplied the blooming ingredients for everyone to use. The lucky students not only got the chance to handle such wonderfully sourced flower stock but must have learned in real-time so many avant-garde techniques we others must view from a screen. I am sure that as flowers are designed more organically now with a contemporary twist, that these styles will trickle down to the stylish events & everyday bunches we currently make to send.
I am committed to expanding floral design knowledge across the world. For me, there are no borders—on the contrary, flowers unite people in the most unpredictable ways. Madrid Blooms is a place where that magic happens, and I hope to see you there in the near future! - Sylvia Bustamente
Find out more about Madrid Flower School here
And then we have to look at Flower House Mexico who are also about to collaborate with Madrid Flower School next month :
'At Flower House Mexico, we embrace the transformative power of flowers and their innate ability to inspire, educate, heal, and bring beauty into the world. Our mission is to create an annual three-day educational floral workshop that not only unites renowned floral designers and passionate students, but also touches the hearts of cancer patients and their families facing critical economic challenges. Through our educational and healing mission we are able to enrich the floral design community and also help cancer patients. All profits are donated to a beneficiary to support cancer treatment or research.'
This annual event is especially significant in the flower world calendar. It has three aims :
Embrace the Beauty of Flowers: We celebrate the enchanting beauty of flowers and the art of floral design. Through our educational and interactive workshops and events, we strive to ignite a deep appreciation for the intricate colors, shapes, and fragrances that flowers bestow upon our lives. By creating breathtaking floral arrangements, we aim to fill hearts with awe, wonder, and a renewed sense of joy.
Extend Compassion and Financial Support to Cancer Patients and Families: We understand the hardships faced by cancer patients and their families, particularly the financial burdens that often accompany their journey. Flower House Mexico is committed to supporting cancer patients and will select a beneficiary annually who will receive our profits to provide financial assistance to families in need. Through our efforts, we aspire to offer solace, hope, and a helping hand to those in need.
Foster Healing and Unity: Flowers possess an extraordinary ability to uplift spirits, bring comfort, and inspire healing. By creating a nurturing and compassionate space, we aim to foster a sense of unity and understanding among participants, cancer patients, and their families. Through the shared experience of floral design, we seek to cultivate moments of joy, inspiration, and connection that can bring solace during challenging times.
Firstly, globally renowned floral designers and friends of the artists who worked in the Madrid Flower School arrive to Mexico City with the intention to create an immersive educational course in floral work. They all volunteer to be there and this year included lots of our favourite floral friends :
Frida Kim of Frida Kim London (UK) , Max Owens of Max Owens Design (US) , Sue McLeary of Passion Flower Sue (UK), Liz Griffith of Siloh Floral (US & Europe), Mariana Guajardo of Flores by Bambu (Mexico), Jisook Yim of Saison Fleurie (Korea), Rachael Ann Lunghi of Siren Floral Co.(US), Jason Murakawa of Small Masterpiece (US).
Corbin Gurkin is the photographer who also volunteers to beautifully capture all from this creative space. In a recent post, she states unequivocably that,
Every January, I make my way to Flower House Mexico for my annual creative pilgrimage. This year, it's in Mexico City and it's not just a chance to connect with other artists. It's also my creative reset - a time to recharge, be blown away by the visual installations, and on a personal level, recreate to my mom-self with Emerson, who's been part of every Flower House Mexico since it's inception. I always leave feeling so inspired and ready for the year ahead.
All of the attendees pay to be part of this workshop and this money goes to charity.
There are wonderful images from buying flowers at the Mexico City flower market the lucky things. They got to choose so many interesting foliages, flowers, fruits native to their surrounds too. The attendees then work alongside the various designers who each design, construct and fill their individually designated spaces.
Once all of the installations are complete to create a sense of awe, the front doors open to donating visitors who fortunately get the chance to experience these special environments. I know that floral design can feel like a bit of frivolity in a serious world. However, the community and connection created by all of the designers and students really led to a powerful set of floral stories imparting emotion & starting new visionary directions in floristry from where we are now.
In particular I loved the work of Saison Fleurie & Frida Kim. Jinsook Kim of Saison Fleurie used florals & fabric in a sculptural way to create a peaceful and aesthetically silent space. She combined the idea of the Mexican hammock with the curvatures found in Korean architecture & fashion. Hanbok fabric is traditionally the material used in Korean dressmaking and Jinsook used this to create draping hammocks amongst the ceiling rafters. Then flowers were moulded delicately to match the fabric swaying in the Mexican air currents inside the room. From the beautiful shots by Corbin Gurkin, it feels like a space of balance and repose, full of light.
Frida Kim then used Mexican corn as her motif. Some sculptures were created from corn or sheaf only, stripped of pods and lightened in tone to cream. Others stood tall using blue, red, cream, yellow corn. Each organic structure form simultaneously held a fragile aesthetic. Only white string was used to bind some, other pieces seem to be propping each other up as if made like an irregular Jenga tower.
Both the Madrid Flower School & Flower House Mexico are interesting initiatives. Certainly, everyone who attends these imaginative days, is reminded that our flower world can help in life circle times of pain and joy. It is a truth to tell that, we all need stimulation for our floral work to stay interesting whilst in parallel, we must remain mindful of our earth where our flowers grow too. Let us allow our flowers always be vessels for change we say.
*All photos from Flower House Mexico are by Corbin Gurkin - I was having technical issues with the descriptions beneath each shot. X
Discover everything about Flower House Mexico here