The Fascination of Floral Couture
The floral art form that is “botanical couture” has captured the imaginations of both floral designers and consumers around the world in recent years, yet some floral retailers dismiss its importance, saying that it is not commercially viable.
Today, however, botanical/floral couture is much more encompassing than just the over-the-top garments often seen in runway shows and editorial photoshoots. The art form (and term) now comprise all floral wearables, including realistically “doable” and salable pieces that have massive appeal to Generations Y and Z—many of who are looking for out-of-the-ordinary floral pieces to express their individuality for weddings, proms and other celebratory occasions.
Flowers to Wear has it all! From diminutive floral rings to extravagant floral gowns, the more than 100 “fantastical” designs on these pages (eight of which have how-to instructions) were created by 43 visionary floral artists from eight countries on four continents, providing a truly worldwide perspective of this floral phenomenon. The designs include:
• Headpieces, hairpieces, hair combs, headbands, turbans and “hats”
• Jewelry, including necklaces/chokers, bracelets, earrings and rings
• Gowns and dresses
• Capes, boas and scarves
• Shoes
• Masks
• Garters
• Tattoos
Readers will be able to clearly see the details in each of the inspirational—and aspirational—designs in this beautiful book: There are 180 color photos, most of which are full page or spreads!
Botanical couture is an international art form that is here to stay, and the diversity of designs in this book will inspire virtually all flower lovers—from professional floral designers to floral enthusiasts—to give this art form a go, at whatever level they choose to pursue it. It’s a must- have for every floral library that all readers will refer to over and over. Learn more—and order—at shop.wildflower.media.
• $27.95
• 152 pages
• Hardcover
• More than 100 floral/botanical couture designs, eight with step-by-step instructions and color photos
• 180 color photos, most of which are full page or spreads
• 9” x 11”
• ISBN 978-1-7337826-7-8
• Order at shop.wildflower.media
Why did WildFlower Media and you create this book? What’s its purpose?
During my 14 years as a floral designer, I have seen more and more designers being captivated by creative, unusual and, often, extravagant wearable flowers for weddings and proms. I’ve also witnessed the emergence of floral couture fashion shows and photoshoots. Many floral designers have found a creative outlet in this genre of floral design, enabling them to express their inner fashion artistry and show others what a floral artist can really do. So, it seemed the right time to collect these designs from floral- couture artists worldwide. The inspiration was to share the different realms in which floral designers have embraced floral couture along with education: step-by-step instructions for several of the more complex and unusual designs. This book honors what is beautiful in an elevated way and shares floral education.
What makes this book uniquely different from others in the floral book marketplace?
We tried to create a book that was more in line with the feel of a fashion magazine, like Vogue. The photographs are very fashion- forward stylized, which, many times, gives the readers the sense that these designs could literally be on a model in Milan, Paris or New York. Furthermore, we created each “chapter” to represent fashion departments, similar to how one might shop an upscale bouquet or fashion design studio. In addition, the inclusion of educational elements that teach the readers how to create floral botanical necklaces, bracelets, dresses, headpieces, tattoos and scarves balances the beautiful photos with something tangible to take away from this book—and this separates this book from others on the market.
What do you hope readers will gain from this book, and how do you hope they will use this book?
The hope with any floral design book is to inspire designers in some way. With Flowers to Wear, we hope that readers will find a magical spark that will ignite them to create their own floral-couture designs. Some floral designers already know the mechanics behind creating headpieces, but they might be inspired to re-create a design in the book into something different or more within their signature style. Others, who want to create floral-couture designs but don’t currently have the technical skill set, will find eight step-by-step instructions to teach them how to begin. Thus, if designers see anything in this book that stirs the embers of creativity, then we have accomplished our goals!
