FlowerSchool New York Blog

Welcome to the FlowerSchool New York blog. Here you'll find daily updates on what's going on at the school, photos from recent classes, details about upcoming Master Classes, book recommendations, and more. We're constantly expanding the blog to supply new inspiration to our enthusiastic and constantly growing community of flower design professionals and enthusiasts!

Event Design Series with Bideawee at Gotham Hall

February 29th, 2012

 

Gotham Hall

Bideawee, one of the most well recognized animal rights organizations in the country, has graciously partnered up FSNY for their upcoming gala event on Monday, June 11th at the beautiful Gotham Hall. Bideawee has invited FSNY to use the event as a learning opportunity where our students will design and execute the table decor and flower arrangements for the entire event.

Under the guidance of event designer David M Handy, students who register for June’s “Consultation to Execution” event design series will be able to participate in this one of a kind class, and will gain first-hand experience producing and designing a real event. This will be unlike anything offered at FlowerSchool before, and we are especially grateful to Bideawee for providing this unique opportunity for our students.

Upon completion, students will receive high-resolution images of their designs for their personal portfolios. To register for this series CLICK HERE.

David M. Handy design at the 2012 NYBG Orchid Dinner

 

 

 

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Matthew Robbins’ Book Party

February 27th, 2012

 

Last Wednesday, FSNY had the fortunate opportunity to attend Matthew Robbins‘ book release party at the beautiful and eclectic 632 Hudson townhouse. And what an event it was! Every corner of the house was designed to perfection, and Matthew’s book was wonderfully interspersed throughout the space, looking as if it always belonged. To top it off, each room hosted a unique and delicious treat – a highlight being cookies from One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn.

 

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Emily Thompson

February 23rd, 2012

Listening to Emily Thompson speak about her work and her unique floral philosophy, we can see that it is clear a new design perspective is making waves here in New York. Designing is no longer is just about putting stems in a vase anymore, but rather a contemplative, sincere and purposefully approach which is as much about the people you are creating for as the space in which the arrangement will go.

As Emily mentioned during her lesson, “We do not live in a vacuum, and neither should your arrangements.” We are all inspired by the world around us, ushering our designs in a particular direction.  Emily encourages this type of exploration before even touching a flower. To foster this idea, Emily showed the class images of famous residences, buildings, movie stars and famous locations that she is inspired by and evokes in her design style. By studying these images and iconic spaces, it  leads to the question: “What do you design for these buildings?”  Emily pushes herself beyond normal constraints and boundaries in order to create her vision.

It is clear Emily has a solid foundation in art, design and culture, giving her work perspective.  Her next class will be on March 29th, from 5-7pm and, as usual, space is limited.  We look forward to seeing you again!

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New old flowers

February 20th, 2012

The flowering plant has only existed on earth for the last 100 million years.   As hard as it is for me to think of a world with no flowers, it’s true.

Varieties of flowering plans have come and gone over that time.  Recently, Russian scientists were able to bring back a plant that existed on this earth 32,000 years ago.

Any idea of what variety of cut flower we use today it looks most like?

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LMD at the Pierre Hotel

February 9th, 2012

We have to take a moment to revel in a recent event that Lewis Miller of LMD created at the beautiful Pierre Hotel in New York City. Creating a romantic and beautifully textured landscape, Lewis undoubtedly achieved perfection in this autumnal secret garden. Take advantage of the opportunity to work with this incredible designer in Lewis’ upcoming class “The Cosmopolitan Garden” on Thursday, February 16th at 5pm; register for the class HERE.

Read more about the Pierre Hotel event and view more images HERE.

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Valentine’s Day Thoughts

February 7th, 2012
For many florists Valentine’s Day is unparalleled to any other day in the business. Around early to mid January, you can almost see the mood change in the market. As florists begin to gear up for the big day pre-ordering their flowers, gathering interns for the assumed 12 hour day, and trying the navigate elevated costs this day always manufacturers, it is easy to get lost in the stress and anxiety of the day.
With all this in mind, it is important to also remember all the good this day brings to table. Even with all the hassle and stress, for many individuals this holiday will be the only connection to the flower business that they will have all year. Many who will be calling on the phone or stopping in your shop will be complete newcomers, never having ordered flowers before. So take a moment before the day begins, and remember how this day is an opportunity to introduce the beauty and joy of flowers to a whole new group of customers!

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Matthew Robbins Book Party!

February 1st, 2012

On Monday night, FlowerSchool New York had the greatest pleasure hosting a book party event for Matthew Robbins’ new book, “Inspired Weddings.” Matthew had just finished an incredible ten city tour with his book, and we were so happy to have Matthew return to FlowerSchool as the capstone of his trip.

FlowerSchool was filled with the most beautiful Japanese blooms which were very generiously donated by Bloom Japan Network Co., BJN Asia Co., and the Naniwa Flower Auction Co.  With Matthew at the helm signing books and creating several incredible hand tied bouquets, this was a perfect evening for any flower lover.

We hope everyone who came had a great time and are enjoying the flowers and book!

If you are looking for another opportunity to see even more Japanese flowers, be sure to stop by the  Japan Bloom Fair at the Japan Society (located at 333 East 47th Street) today from 10:00am – 4:00pm.

Matthew with Yutaka Shirakawa of the Bloom Japan Network.

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Japan Bloom Fair 2012: January 31st & February 1st

January 19th, 2012

Need to escape to the doldrums of winter? Do you miss the sight and color of beautiful sweet pea, ranunculus and peonies?

Then you’re in luck! This year’s Japan Bloom Fair will take place on January 31st and February 1st hosted by The Japan Society.  Now in it’s third year, this event showcases some of the best flowers on the market coming from Japan, highlighting the exquisite and unique beauty of Japanese flowers. In their first show Japan Bloom Fair brought over 200 varieties of flowers to New York, many of which had never been seen before in the States. This year’s collection will surely impress, inspire and exhilarate any flower enthusiast during this cold winter month.

During the event Japanese top floral designer, Mr. Kenji Takenaka, will make several flower arrangements using Japanese flowers which are not yet available in the US market.

The Japan Bloom Fair will take place at the Japan Society located at 333 East 47th St. on Tuesday, January 31st from 1:00pm- 6:00pm and Wednesday, February 1st from 10:00am – 4:00pm.

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Horsetails and French Tulips with Olivier Giugni

January 13th, 2012

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Last Thursday, famed New York designer, Olivier Giugni, gave a fantastic master class where he taught the class how to create a large scale, modern design for any interior space. Olivier explained to the class how before he begins working on an arrangement, he first thinks about the space and atmosphere of where it will be placed. Will it be showcased in a large atrium of a grand hotel, or on a side table in a modern bedroom scape? Asking these questions provides a guideline for the type of arrangement and design characteristics you will create for the space.

Olivier continued by explaining how his famed leaf wrapped vase asthetic also came from this concept. When Olivier was first getting started in his studio, he wanted to create a way for the client to not see the water in the vase as it dirtied over time. He decided to use a clever (and brand new!) design concept to solve a ever present problem for many clients. Olivier’s use of large leaves and greens has not only become his iconic look, but allows for a more approachable and accessible look for many clients.

For this class, Olivier introduced a type of greenery called horsetail stems or “shavegrass” that many of the students had never worked with before. This unique grass-like perennial  is largely grown in California and is completely hollow, making it very easy to manipulate and use in a very modern looking arrangement. Paired with the horsetail, Olivier brought beautiful French Tulips from Nice, France that were just starting their season. The beauty and charm of these tulips against the stark green of the horsetail was a great combination. Oliver mentioned that he enjoyed pairing the two because the horsetail acts as a supportive wall for the tulips giving them guide to grow.

Take a look at more images on our Facebook Page!

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Posted in Master Class, Olivier Giugni | 2 Comments »

Matthew Robbins on Tour!

January 10th, 2012

Celebrating the success of his first book ‘Matthew Robbins’ Inspired Weddings’, FlowerSchool’s Matthew Robbins is on the move promoting his book throughout the country! After his first stop in Atlanta, Matthew will be making his way to San Antonio and Denver next. While in Atlanta Matthew was invited to do a segment on Better Mornings Atlanta where he gave easy and creative tablescaping ideas. Watch the full segment HERE.

Follow Matthew’s tour experience on his BLOG. Maybe he will be in your area next!

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Matthew on the set of Better Mornings Atlanta.

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