It’s no accident that Alix Astir became New York’s Rose Queen. She strives to be the Anna Wintour of roses: a connoisseur known for a flick of the wrist, a subtle nod to the way art beds commerce, and we all stand to benefit. “This is New York, baby. We get to choose perfection here: isn’t that incredible?” she says, with a wink that broadcasts floral runway supermodel having the time of her life. With dawn breaking, Alix returns to the studio, blooms in tow. There, she taps into her creative side. “Sometimes, I watercolor a design first, to make sure it captures the right mood,” she says. “I’ve spent full nights in the studio, and hours on a single arrangement, getting it just right.” While she oversees a team of designers, Alix takes on many of her projects singlehandedly. “It’s just me and the wellspring of the universe within me. I love to go into The Zone, where you lose time and space, and it’s only you and your masterpiece,” she says. Asked how she became a floral designer, Alix laughs. “I was raised to be conscious of the seasons, the rhythms of nature, what grows where. As a child I was fascinated by the magic of growth. When I got older, I studied the science and art of it. For me, there’s nothing else worth doing.” The formally trained florist was initiated at l’Ecole des Fleurs at l’Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, and later studied at the New York Botanical Garden. She earned the title Rose Queen a year ago. “One of my most important clients, whom I can’t name, started calling me that...and before I knew it everyone was. I’d pick up the phone at Trellis, and people would ask, ‘Is this the Rose Queen?’ I was as surprised as anyone else – but it stuck!” An understated force, Alix connects deeply with her work. “My passion is nature, and design is my respite. I don’t hear or see anything else for those hours,” she says. The
Resident June 2014 • 53
SPOTLIGHT
Location: Cultural Services of the French Embassy, NY. Makeup: Elizabette Quezada. Hair: Phoenix Golden.
Alix explores the corners of Manhattan’s flower district with commanding charisma. Vendors nod in recognition…and respect. She moves deftly from storefront to awning, navigating one of the nation’s most historic markets like the insider she was born to be. Alix lingers over some roses, running a manicured finger over blush-hued petals. “Fresh flowers have life in them,” she says. “They’re vibrant, strong, unbending. These have probably been in the warehouse a week. See how they are starting to goose neck?” She points at a floppy rose head, and moves on, assessing more blooms.