14.08.23 | Collaborations
The Art of Florals | Local Florists
Style Our Beautiful Vases
To celebrate our vases and the creativity of flowers, we’ve partnered with local florists throughout New Zealand. We asked the talented florists to showcase their unique style by creating a seasonal arrangement in a vase of their choice.
The looks created celebrate the beauty and possibilities of nature. Our sculptural vases work in unison with the arrangements to create one-of-a-kind, living artworks.
Read on to get to know the local florists and how they chose to approach the fun brief. They also share some of their favourite seasonal blooms and tips for recreating looks at home.
Isadia, Auckland
Floral arrangement styled in our Pod bud vase
Tell us a bit about your brand and what you do.
Isadia is an Auckland-based floral design studio helmed by Isabel Johnston and Lydia Reusser. We specialise in intuitive and naturalistic floral arrangements. Working with the seasons and using locally sourced flowers, we are renowned for our artistic approach and focus on unstructured and elegant arrangements.
What flowers have you featured in your arrangement?
We decided to source a collection of specialty orchids from a small grower out West as well as some beautiful double tulips to balance out the delicate florals. We love working with the unusual forms and colour combinations of orchids.
What was your creative journey when putting together the arrangement?
Once we had chosen our vase for this project, we knew right away we wanted to work with an earthy palette to complement the vase. We like to work intuitively, letting the flowers guide us. We like to have fun and take it slow while we arrange and play around with height, form, and movement. Our best work always comes when we are enjoying the process.
What seasonal flowers are you loving right now?
Spring is such a wonderful time for flowers. Ranunculus are a favourite for their delicate, frilly petals along with sweetpeas, flowering blossom, and poppies.
Why were you drawn to Città’s Pod bud vase?
We really loved the speckled texture of the pod vase. It is also nice to work with a smaller vase with a narrow neck when working with delicate florals as it allows the beauty of the flowers to sing!
Yvette Edwards Studio, Wellington
Floral arrangement styled in our Otto vase
Tell us a bit about your brand and what you do.
Yvette Edwards is a creative floral and botanical studio in Wellington CBD. Our work is inspired by the seasons, always with an eye on fashion and interiors. Our work is split between styling botanical plant installations, designing event and wedding florals, and our beautiful heritage retail store always keeps us busy.
What flowers have you featured in your arrangement?
In our sculptural winter vase arrangement, we have used phalaenopsis orchids (exclusive star variety), a fig branch from Island Bay, lipstick-pink tulips, and locally grown Erica cerinthoides.
What was your creative journey when putting together the arrangement?
I wanted to demonstrate how you can use what’s in season, even in the middle of winter. I tend to design with a much more sculptural shape at this time of year, as the botanicals available lend themselves to a more minimalist aesthetic and form. It’s a simple vase recipe–take three floral ingredients, add a wintery branch for some structure, and place your blooms delicately around the shape the branch offers you.
What seasonal flowers are you loving right now?
August is one of my favourite months for a few rare botanical treasures. The blossoms are starting to show, the winter/spring bulbs are popping their heads up and you have all the elegant New Zealand-grown orchids. And don’t get me started on the hellebores, wintersweet, and daphne!
Why were you drawn to Città’s Otto vase?
I love how the soft delicate swirls of blushy pink made all the pink blooms pop. Can you tell I love pink? As a florist, you can pick a good vase and this vase can be filled easily with its narrow neck with a variety of seasonal blooms. Bare branches in July, peonies in October, cut roses from the garden in November, or as I have designed, an easy mix of three of your seasonal favourites any time of the year.
Harakeke Florist, Christchurch
Floral arrangements styled in our Terrace vase
Tell us a bit about your brand and what you do.
Harakeke has been operating as a florist in Christchurch for 16 years. In 2020, we expanded into retail homewares and giftware as well as the florist.
What flowers have you featured in your arrangements?
I used camelia branches with the leaves removed. Removing the leaves gives a wonderful structured look to the branches. Camelia is widely available over the winter months and is often overlooked. In the second arrangement, I’ve used cymbidium orchids with their gorgeous, deep burgundy blooms. Orchids are wonderful for the home, long-lasting, and available all winter. Thirdly are fresh tulips with the petals peeled back. Tulips continue to grow in water once picked. They follow the light, which makes them dance whimsically in a vase.
Why were you drawn to Città’s Terrace vase?
I love simplicity when it comes to having flowers at home. You don't need to spend a huge amount on flowers each week for your house. A few stems of something seasonal and other vases of fresh foliage from the garden lift any space. The Terrace vase is a great addition to my vase collection, it is interesting, and you don't need to fill it with blooms. It looks wonderful with just a few branches of foliage from the garden.
We loved seeing how each florist shared their creative flair. A special thanks to Isadia in Auckland, Yvette Edwards Studio in Wellington, and Christchurch’s Harakeke Florist. Be inspired to recreate the looks with our extensive vase collection in-store and online.
