Colleen Monroe is the creative director and owner of Floraloom Studio , a Los Angeles based floral design studio. Combining fresh and preserved blooms, feathers and painted palms, Monroe’s mesmerizing designs are a cross between a Dr. Seuss landscape and a Lisa Frank trapper binder. She’s designed everything from wedding bouquets to a 30 foot cloud of rainbow colored baby’s breath suspended in a freight elevator. But before Monroe got into flowers, she was the designer and founder of the fashion startup Untucked Workwear ( Verily featured an interview with Monroe about the startup in 2017). And before that, she worked in costume design for commercials, film, and television. I chatted with Monroe about making career pivots, allowing the momentum to take that career in unexpected directions, and the creative thread that has run through it all. Meghan Duke: Tell us about Floraloom Colleen Monroe: I officially launched my company, Floraloom, last fall (2018). Before that I assisted other floral designers and worked in flower shops to learn all about the flowering world. I now specialize in doing installations and activations for corporate clients, brands, and markets and also teach workshops like this one . MD: What sort of interests or passions might lead a woman to this career? CM: For a career in flower installations specifically, I would say, an interest in working with your hands as well as having an eye for spatial design, color, and balance and a sense of sculpting elements into 3D shapes. So many creative industries inform my style and inspire my work and push me to think outside the box—architecture, fine painting, street art, interior design, fashion, technology. It’s not all pretty work though—you need lots of stamina and the ability to be on your feet for long periods of time. Monroe […]