Floral Couture in Japan
We were invited to Japan by the World Flower Summit to create a piece for a floral demonstration in a precinct just outside Tokyo.
And what an invitation it was.
Our first stop was the flower markets in Tokyo — an extraordinary world of colour, texture and flowers. We were given the most beautiful lisianthus in coffee, dusty washed pink, aubergine and deep purple tones.
The palette was soft, moody and utterly my style!
From there, we began creating.
We were welcomed into one of the local traditional houses, with its beautiful paper walls and wonderfully generous hosts. Around a long table, we shared food, stories and conversation while beginning the base design for our floral couture.
It was one of those moments where the making became just as important as the finished piece.
We were then taken to a local garden — a beautiful, almost wild meadow designed to work alongside Mother Nature rather than against her. Bees, butterflies and insects were all part of the garden’s rhythm. We were able to select a small collection of flowers and bring them back into our designs.
We created a floral couture headpiece and skirt, combining the market flowers with the beautiful, unexpected treasures from the garden.
The pieces were presented at the demonstration, where we were honoured to share the stage and present our work to the mayor. We also held a workshop, teaching floral design while a live band played throughout the day.
Naturally, we couldn’t resist adding a little floral couture to the musicians too.
And then, the next morning, our little pieces of Japan went into a suitcase.
We headed into the streets of Tokyo to photograph the couture — finding a tiny garden tucked away from the incredible rush of the city.
Flowers, fashion, a little Japanese magic… and one very memorable adventure.
Japan, you were fabulous.