Slow Flowers Journal July 2021 (FREE)

COPYRIGHT (C) 2021 BY SLOW FLOWERS

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Debra Prinzing

DESIGN + PICTURE EDITOR Robin Avni

COPY EDITOR Judith Dern

IMAGE EDITOR Heather Marino

COVER PHOTOGRAPER Niesha Blancas + Ana Quinata

COVER MODEL Jada Cruz

PUBLISHED BY BLOOM: An Imprint of SLOW FLOWERS

SLOW FLOWERS

Celebrating domestic cut flowers + floral design

AmericanFlowersWeektakesplaceJune28-July4 eachyearastheadvocacy,education,andoutreach campaignproducedbySlowFlowersSociety InspiredbythesuccessofBritishFlowersWeek, in2015,SlowFlowersSocietyfounderDebra PrinzingcreatedtheUS versionofthedomestic flowerspromotioncampaign Shechosetolaunch thevirtualeventduringtheweekcoincidingwith July4th,America’sIndependenceDay.

“Ofcourse,likeeveryoneintheSlowFlowers Movement,Ibelievethatweshouldbecelebrating American-grownflowersduringall52weeksofthe year, ”shenotes “Butbychoosingtodevoteonefull weektoanawarenesscampaign,Ibelievewecan heightenattentionforthiscause–-bothinthe mediaandinthepublic”

Slow Flowers Society commissioned Los Angelesbased artist and illustrator Jeanetta Gonzales to create our 2021 American Flowers Week branding Learn more about her at jeanettagonzales.com.

Prints of this work are available for purchase at slowflowerssociety.com/shop.

Initsseventhyear,AmericanFlowersWeekhas gainedsignificantmomentumgeneratingmorethan 14.5millionimpressionsacrosssocialmedia platformssinceitslaunch

Anyoneinvolvedingrowing,gardening,ordesigning withdomesticflowersisencouragedtouse the#americanflowersweekhashtagtodraw attentiontothecampaignandtheSlowFlowers Movement Moreresourcesandfreedownloadsare atamericanflowersweekcom

FLORAL DRESS-UP

Creativity in bloom for American Flowers Week

Sevenyearsago,SlowFlowersSocietylauncheda grassrootssocialmediacampaigntotakeplacethe weekleadinguptoIndependenceDay.Wecalledit "AmericanFlowersWeek"andchallengedgrowers, farmer-florists,designers,andretailerstopostphotos oftheirUS-grownflowersonsocialmediausingthe #americanflowersweekhashtag Whiletheactual campaigntakesplaceJune28-July4eachyear, AFWhasexpandedintoamonth-longcelebration duringmuchofJune andculminatesinthefinal sevendayspriortotheFourthofJuly

Forthefirstyear,in2015,weurgedSlowFlowers memberstodesignared-white-and-bluebouquet andshareitacrosssocialmedia Thenextyear, inspiredbyherbotanicalAfrohairpiecemadewith baby'sbreath,weaskedSusanMcLearytodesigna red-white-and-blueAfro Thephotographyofa beautifulmodelwearingafullheadofflowersinour patrioticpalettewasstunningandelevatedour collectiveimagination.

Wewantedtokeepgoingwiththewearablefloral vibe!Thefollowingyear,in2017,AmericanFlowers WeeklaunchedtheBotanicalCouturecollectionwith fivefloralfashionpieceswornbyfemaleandmale models

Flowerfarmerscelebratedaseasonalharvest-straightfromtheirfields Floraldesignersshowcased theircreativitybyfashioningfloralraimentwithiconic American-grownblooms Sunflowers,zinnias,roses,

COUTURE 2016

TOP LEFT

Michigan-based Susan McLeary styled a red, white and blue Afro using flowers donated by six U S growers. The piece is modeled by Monique Montri and photographed by Amanda Dumouchelle.

COUTURE 2020

TOP RIGHT

Orchid opulence representing the state of Hawaii, designed by Alison Grace Higgins of Grace Flowers Hawaii. Thousands of white dendrobium orchid blossoms embellish a floral dress modeled by Jasmine Kume Amari and photographed by Sarah Anderson Tropical bouquet designed by Nicole Cordier.

COUTURE 2018

BOTTOM LEFT

Carly Jenkin of Killing Frost Farm in Missoula, Montana, collected Pacific Northwest moss, lichen, and pine cones to fashion a magnificent woodland gown, modeled by Berkeley Danysh and photographed by Alex Brooks

COUTURE 2018

BOTTOM RIGHT

Designer Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Co , conjured a rose tutu from California-grown hybrid tea roses, garden roses, and spray roses. Antalia Sabankaya models with photography by John Kaemmerling.

With flowers transformed as art or sculpture, as fashion and beauty, as a symbol of the human desire to connect with nature, there is much more to each bloom than one might imagine.

BEGINNINGS

succulentplants,spring-floweringbulbs,peonies,and more!

ThisyearmarksoursixthBotanicalCouturecollectionfor AmericanFlowersWeek With25lookscreatedtodate, andrecoveringfromthechallengesof2020andtheglobal pandemic,wearethrilledtoshareonedozennew wearablefashionsshowcasedinthe2021collection!

Flowersaremoreessentialthanever.Locallygrown flowersarehavingarenaissance,notjustamongthose whohavelongvaluedsustainabilityanddomestic agriculture,butamongthegeneralpublic Thisstatement isunderscoredbythe2021NationalGardeningSurvey's questionsaboutconsumerpreferencesatthecashregister SponsoredbySlowFlowersSociety,theomnibussurveyof nearly2,500U.S.householdsasked:"Howimportantisit thattheflowersyoubuyare(a)U.S.-grown,and(b)locallygrown?"Sincethisquestionhadnotbeforebeenaskedina statisticallycorrectstudy,wecouldonlyguess,butthe responseswerehugelyencouraging Fifty-eightpercentof respondentssaiditis"veryorsomewhatimportant"tothem thattheflowerstheybuyarelocallygrown,while57 percentsaid"American-grownflowers areveryorsomewhatimportanttothem"Havingthese attitudemeasuresisimportantasabaseline--against whichfutureconsumerattitudesandbehaviorcan bemeasured

WhatisthepointofthisBotanicalCoutureseries?Isit frivolous?Yes!Isitstrategic?Yes!Bypresentingflowersas fashion,photographedwitheditorialstylingtotellastory, theAmericanFlowersWeekcampaignshinesalightonthe talentedgrowersanddesignerswhoarepartoftheSlow

FlowersMovement Moreover,itchangeswhatwethink offlowers.Nolongerjustaperishableitemtocapturea sentimentintime,perhapstheflowers,foliage,foraged botanicals,andnaturalelementsyouseeinthesepages willshiftandexpandyourthinking Withflowers transformedasartorsculpture,asfashionandbeauty,as asymbolofthehumandesiretoconnectwithnature,there ismuchmoretoeachbloomthanonemightimagine

ABOUT THE STORIES

Our American Flowers Week 2021 special edition of Slow Flowers Journal features Debra Prinzing’s stories based on interviews with each creative team designing and producing this year’s Botanical Couture collection.

Slow Flowers assembled a unique creative team for each botanical creation that included a floral designer, model, photographer, hair and makeup stylists, floral sponsors, farmers, and production support.

We thank each of our participants for their devotion and support of the Slow Flowers Journal and American Flowers Week. This community approach has been inspiring ever since 2016 when we commissioned the collection's first botanical couture look. Now, 25 looks in and with a dozen new looks for 2021, we continue to acknowledge each creative person who contributed their talents in kind to this project,

BOTANICAL COUTURE 2021

DESIGNER Carolyn Kulb, Folk Art Flowers, folkartflowerscom,@folkartflowers

PHOTOGRAPHY Missy Palacol, missypalacolphotographycom, @missypalacol

MODEL Tasia Baldwin @ tasiajb HAIR /MAKEUP DeLeana Guerrero Luxe Artistry Seattle @guerrerodelavida artistry and@luxeartistryseattle

FLORAL PALETTE Washington-grown hellebores

PRODUCTION SUPPORT Pamela Youngsman, PoppyStarts, poppystartscom, @poppystarts

A WINTER TALE

The varigated hellebore petals bring a shimmer to the season

HYAK SNO-PARK, SNOQUALMIE PASS, WASHINGTON

The hellebore is one of the first early-season flowers to emerge from the wet, bare earth, delivering a bouquet of beauty at the most unexpected time of year

Cold-loving, hellebores even tolerate snow, a fact that prompted Seattle floral designer Carolyn Kulb to fantasize about a futuristic hellebore dress photographed in a snowy setting. "Most of the time we see hellebores portrayed in woodlands with moss or ferns I wanted to see how these flowers would look showcased somewhere strange and different -- where you wouldn't even expect to see flowers"

Owner of Seattle-based Folk Art Flowers, Carolyn is a farmer-florist whose garden is filled with countless hellebores She acknowledges that hellebores are a precious and relatively rare option for floral design, mostly due to their limited availability as a cut flower That's why she started growing the perennial in her own garden

The origins of Carolyn's gorgeous garment began earlier this year when I invited Pam Youngsman to give a hellebore presentation for Slow Flowers members Through her company

She's from another world. maybe she's the guardian of these magical flowers that grow in the snow and she's looking for a place to plant more of them.

PoppyStartsInc.,Pamsellsstarterplantsto growersspecializinginhelleboresandother perennials Asshetreatedustothemanydetails abouttheform,habit,andpetalcolorsof hellebores,myimaginationwassparked.

WhataboutanAmericanFlowersWeekbotanical couturelookexpressedinhellebores?IaskedPam ifshewouldcollaboratewithafloraldesignerto createahelleboregarment.Theplantswomanwas instrumentalinsourcinghundredsofflowersfor thisproject,bothfromherowngardenandfrom othersinthenurserytrade

"Toseethehelleborecelebratedinthiswayisso fun,"Pamsays "It'sgreattogivethisflowerthe spotlightithasdeservedforsolong I'mseeinga lotmoredemandforhelleboresasacutflower andthankfullymoregrowersareaddingthem, whichshouldhelpincreaseavailabilityofcut helleborestothefloralmarketplace"

PamsayssherecentlyspokewithBradSiebe, generalmanageroftheSeattleWholesale GrowersMarket,whotoldherthatdemandfor helleboreshasdoubledeachyear--from2019to present MostoftheflowersusedforCarolyn's dressarefromtheHeugerGoldCollection(HGC), includingRed,Rose,andWhitefromtheHGCIce N'Rosesseries,whichhasbeennamedASCFG's 2021FreshCutFloweroftheYear

Insistingsheisn'taseamstress,Carolynlookedto coutureforideas "Istartedwithamoodboardand wasdrawntorunwayimageswithhigh-fashion silhouettes AsIsketched,Ithoughtaboutbig shapesandbigshoulders--somethingfuturistic. Iwantedawomanwholookedlikeshejustlanded onthisplanet"

Carolyn repurposed a little-worn dress from her closet, reconstructing it as the base garment "I sewed another piece of fabric over the sleeves and stuffed them with poly-filling, which is used for pillows I wanted to give the sleeves structure, otherwise they would collapse under the weight of the flowers."

The dramatic shoulders and simple silhouette provided Carolyn with a smooth surface for attaching the hellebore flowers, approximately 500 of them She glued the blooms one at a time in bands -- from dark red at the shoulders to pink, blush and greenishwhite at the waist, and transitioning to mauve-purple flowers at the hem The mostly single-form flowers give the dress a shimmery texture resembling paillette-style spangles A keyhole neckline adds a delicate contrast against the oversized shoulders.

"I loved taking the hellebores, which are unusual and grow in the snow, and using them on a garment that's also unusual and structural," Carolyn says. "Adding a headpiece makes the look even more otherworldly."

Constructed on a rustic wire head band covered in silver bouillon wire, the headpiece features a gradation of hellebores -- from tiny buds that float at the tip of each silver strand to larger buds and eventually the full flowers attached at the hairline

After brainstorming with photographer Missy Palacol, Carolyn styled the model with booties and gave her a glass lantern as a prop, in keeping with the story she wanted to tell "She's from the future, from another world I wanted to envision what she might have on her journey I loved her little booties, not only because they keep her warm, but to convey she's ready to walk. If she's from another world, maybe she's looking for places where she can grow things like her hellebore dress. Maybe she's the guardian of these magical flowers that grow in the snow -- and she's looking for a place to plant more of them"

AFTER THE FIRE

Hope + new growth emerge from devastation

SHAVER LAKE, SHAVER, CALIFORNIA

Jenny Moore Diaz is a graphic artist, illustrator, and photographer whose talents have supported many past Slow Flowers Society projects She has designed visuals for fashion and flower farming clients, and, by virtue of being married to a California firefighter, Jenny has produced dozens of logos and branding for fire stations up and down the state

Since 2016, she's also brought her drawing, branding, and typography skills to American Flowers Week, so when Jenny expressed interest in creating a floral garment for the botanical couture collection, we jumped at the offer The result was a 1960s-inspired mini-dress clad in orange and hot pink gerbera daisies, part of the 2019 collection and published in both Florists' Review and Slow Flowers Journal - Volume One.

In 2020, Jenny faced the challenge of working with a child at home during the COVID pandemic, mostly all by herself, since her husband Joe Diaz was away for days on end fighting fires She sought to create something beautiful as an artist's response to chaos "I had an idea of a fire-goddess, a warrior woman who symbolized the strength of fire that leads to new growth," she explains. "I sketched a flowing gown to look like fire was actually

DESIGNER Jenny Diaz, Jenny M Diaz Design, jennymdiazcom, @jennymdiaz

PHOTOGRAPHY Jenny Diaz MODEL Laura Markle, @mrsthemarkle

HAIR Jenny Diaz MAKEUP Alyson Wolfe, @alysonwolfe

FLORAL PALETTE California-grown flowers and foliages donated by CamFlor Inc, camflorcom, @camflorinc

SEAMSTRESS Hortensia Lopez

climbing up everything she touched or stepped over -- like fire does I placed this powerful story at Shaver Lake where the Creek Fire happened last summer

My husband was first on the scene for the fire, just 40 minutes from where we live He was fighting that fire for 45 days straight"

Laura Markle agreed to model Jenny's fiery floral gown. A friend, competitive bodybuilder, and spouse of a firefighter in Joe's company, Laura shares Jenny's complex emotions about living in California

with a layer of stiff cardboard so it wouldn't hang flat once flowers were attached using cold glue

Finding the desired background nearby to photograph her floral gown wasn't hard More than 375,000 acres burned in the Creek Fire, which sadly made a charred and ash-strewn setting against which to photograph the garment easily accessible Joe, a firefighter since 2004, helped her scout a location not far beyond a fire access road where crews were using heavy

confronting the near-constant threat of wildfires and knowing your spouse is on the front lines fighting that fire "I couldn't think of a better person to be my model," Jenny enthuses

Jenny designed a two-piece garment: a draping, eight-foot-long skirt and a body suit with a structured, one-shoulder ruffle She worked with Carlos Cardoza at CamFlor Inc in Watsonville, California, generous donor of all the flowers for this project, to specify a flame-inspired spectrum of flowers -- from yellow pincushion protea, Asiatic lilies, kangaroo paw, and craspedia, to dark orangered sunflowers and gerberas to red ranunculus

Jenny worked with her mother-in-law to design and sew the asymmetrical, wraparound cotton denim skirt She dip-dyed the fabric in a yellow-to-red gradation, which the flowers eventually covered Jenny dyed the knit bodysuit bright yellow and then reinforced the shoulder ruffle

equipment to remove dangerous trees and clear debris Jenny, Laura, and Joe hiked down a steep ravine and climbed large boulders to photograph the flame dress against the scorched and raw landscape, still covered in ash

As far as the eye could see, stood charred stumps of pine trees "The location had all the elements I was looking for," Jenny explains "And I thought it would be more impactful for Laura to be barefoot, emphasizing the lack of vegetation"

As creative director, Jenny designed and fabricated the garment, turning her idea into a gown flowered with all-California-grown botanicals Multi-talented, she also served as photographer The final expression achieves all she hoped for "I wanted to show that there's hope, even after fire It was amazing to see little sprouts of green already coming up through the earth There is devastation, but also hope and beauty."

I wanted to show that there's hope, even after fire. It was amazing to see little sprouts of green already coming up through the earth. There is devastation, but also hope and beauty.

MIDSUMMER FROLIC

An organic dress celebrates native perennials + pollinator plants

HILLTOP COMUNITY FARM, LA VALLE, WISCONSIN

In Erin Schneider's world view, plants and people co-exist in harmony, a notion clearly expressed in the floral dress she created last summer using botanicals harvested from Hilltop Community Farm Erin is a co-owner and land steward with her husband Rob McClure of the 60-acre farm in La Valle, Wisconsin, which is situated on traditional Ho Chunk Nation lands, about 90 minutes northwest of Madison Their tagline is "Hand Agriculture for the 21st Century," a perfect label for their annual bounty of flowers, herbs, produce and orchard fruit grown for a loyal CSA customer base.

Erin provides her wedding and event customers a wide range of blooms, including many familiar perennials and annuals, but she is most passionate about prairie and pollinator plants, as well as native varieties not often considered for floral design. She hopes to elevate awareness of Midwest prairie flowers and grasses, which are showcased in a Wisconsin-inspired botanical couture garment created for American Flowers Week, an effort to encourage more of her customers and florists to share a similar appreciation

"The native plants I use in floral design and pollinatorfriendly flowers are alluring to me, " Erin explains "My

LEAD DESIGNER + FLOWER FARMER Erin Schneider, Hilltop Community Farm, hilltopcommunityfarmcom, @hilltopfarm flower fruitlove PHOTOGRAPHY Patricia Espedal, Treasure People Photography, treasurepeoplecom, @treasurepeople

MODEL Aimee Ziegahn DESIGN ASSISTANCE Diane Mikonowicz Rob McClure FLORAL PALETTE Wisconsin-grown native perennials, grasses, annuals, and fruiting berries SEAMSTRESS Linda Gillen

floral couture weaves in elements of seeds, fruits , and soil, reflecting the role of wind and sun and some of the weather extremes Midwest growers have to contend with."

Erin recruited collaborators to help realize her vision, which began with a sleeveless, mid-calf-length, Art Deco-style chemise in an earth-tone linen She asked Aimee Ziegahn, a former wedding client, to model the look. Linda Gillen, a farm-neighbor and talented seamstress, stitched the garment prior to the addition

farm, florist, and design team to offer beauty, style, and truly unique designs for our clients and customers -- all while supporting the other life forms making these flowers possible," Erin adds.

Linda also designed and fabricated a fanciful insect cape attached with ribbon ties to rest on the model's shoulders The textile body of the insect is stuffed to give it a three-dimensional quality and drape down the back of the floral dress. Mesh netting and sheer organza, embroidered to resemble

of blooms, seeds and foliage, botanical details from 38 species at Hilltop Community Farm These include peak-of-summer ingredients like goldenrod, Queen Anne's Lace, native sunflower, amaranth, Joe Pye weed, wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), rattlesnake master, vervain, celosia, and strawflowers Aronia and Viburnum berries, plus other pods, were used as jewelry along the neckline

Erin is attracted to spirals and composite (daisy-like) flower shapes, which she recreated as a decorative pattern Woven through those focal details are contrasting colors and textures of blooms suggesting the curved flight path of insects that pollinate the flowers featured on the dress

"Above all, I hoped to shed light on the value of local, sustainably-grown flowers and the resulting collaboration between land and plants, flower

whimsical dragonfly wings, float behind Amy as she dances and twirls with the carefree spirit of a child She wears a floral headpiece using many of the same elements embellishing the garment and holds a small gathering of stems in her hands.

Creating a botanical couture garment so deeply connected to Hilltop Community Farm gave new meaning to nature as the ultimate artist "Anytime you commit to engaging with the plant world or with nature, magic can happen," Erin maintains

"After the photo shoot, we walked out into the prairie and there were literally spiral clouds of dragonflies everywhere along the forest's edge I feel like they were thanking us, or just wanting to participate It was really cool"

Anytime you commit to engaging with the plant world or with nature, magic can happen.

DESIGNER Kelly Shore, Petals by the Shore, petalsbytheshorecom, @petalsbytheshore

PHOTOGRAPHY Madeleine Collins, Madeleine Collins Photography, madeleinecollinsphotocom, @madeleinecollinsphoto

MODEL Beatrice Alvarado @beaaalvarado HAIR /MAKEUP Beatrice Alvarado

FLORAL PALETTE California-grown wax flowers from Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers

GROWER Mel Resendiz, Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers, resendizbrotherscom, @resendizbrothers

NATURE'S POETRY

The wax flower takes center stage as a dreamy design element

RESENDIZ BROTHERS PROTEA GROWERS, FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA

Fallbrook, California, is an agricultural region in Northern San Diego county where many of the dramatic hillsides are planted with the flora of Australia and Africa The rugged landscape offers ideal cultural conditions for Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers LLC to farm some of the most beautiful Protea, pincushions, Leucadendrons, and wax flower crops in California According to owner-grower Mel Resendiz, there are more than 50 varieties of the genus Chamelaucium uncinatum, an Australian shrub in the myrtle family

"Wax flowers add texture, volume, and style to designs," adds the farm's creative director, Diana Roy "They compliment most color schemes and add frilly or delicate textures to floral arrangements"

After getting to know the team at Resendiz Brothers, and after buying and working with their flowers, Kelly Shore knew she she had to visit and see the farm for herself Owner of Petals by the Shore, a Damascus, Maryland-based studio, Kelly has since collaborated with Resendiz Brothers to teach design workshops and partnered with the farm to market wholesale boxes of their blooms through The Floral Source, her sister business. "I am not going to sell anything I haven't seen in person or understood how it is grown and harvested."

Kelly returned to San Diego this past March, spending several days with Mel and Diana while learning more about Resendiz Brothers' seasonal offerings. She noticed the proliferation of wax flowers at their peak bloom, spanning white, pink, lavender, and purple hues, with many bi-colored and multicolored varieties.

"Inspired for creating my garment, I wanted to highlight the spring beauty of what's growing at Resendiz Brothers," she says "Seeing wax flowers swaying in the wind, up in the hills, was very ethereal I felt transported and I wanted to capture

to life," she recalls "I very much wanted a Southern California look Mel's family is from Mexico originally, and I wanted a Mexican-American model to wear this garment to represent that history."

The frilly flowers resemble soft chiffon, with layerupon-layer mimicking ruffles of a gown Tiny details in the wax flower petal colors, forms, and shapes are revealed, adding dimension and interest to the design. The entire production took four days, as Kelly worked in a corner of Resendiz Brothers' pack house. Farm crew members stopped by to see her project, asking for

thefeelinginmydesign,usingthewaxflowerfor botanicalcoutureandthebackdropsettingforour photography"

ThephotographytookplaceinRainbow,a communityofFallbrook,whereResendizBrothers growsawidearrayofAustraliannativewildflowers throughouttheir200acres Themajorityofthe plantsareestablishedonsteep,rockyhillsides atanelevationofapproximately1,600feet.

"Amazingly,theseflowersallbloombeautifullyin theharshestconditions,"Dianapointsout.

WithaWestern-styleskirtasherbasegarment, Kellyattachedbandsofwaxflowersbycolor She workedupwards,fromthehemtowardthewaistline, usingbothcoldglueandanadhesivetape,toattach smallflowerclusterstothefabric.Kellyorientedthe flowerheadsdownwardsothateachrowoverlaps stemsofthepreviousrow

"AsIbuiltthegarment,myvisionstartedtocometo

permission to take photographs "I don't think they get to see all the ways the flowers they harvest are used by designers," she observes

Finishing details complete the head-to-toe look: a statement necklace, hand-tied bouquet, and Western-style hat decorated with eucalyptus, wax flowers, plus other Resendiz Brothers crops

Kelly recalls driving up into the hills in her rental car, worrying that the vehicle wouldn't make it up the steep, narrow dirt road "I wanted to capture those hills as our setting," she says "People do not understand how laborious it is to farm this land

It is not like just going out into the field where everything is in tidy rows It is an ordeal and there is a lot of climbing to reach these flowers"

Mel's family is from Mexico originally, and I wanted a Mexican-American model to wear this garment to represent that history.

DESIGNER Niesha Blancas, Fetching Social Media, fetchingsocialmediacom, @fetchingsocial

PHOTOGRAPHY Niesha Blancas + Ana Quinata @anaquinata

MODEL Jada Cruz @d3vinetrinity and Gloria Serna @glowstiic

FLORAL PALETTE California-grown flowers in yellow, peach, coral, orange and green Grown by CamFlor Inc, camflorcom, @camflorinc

DESIGN TEAM Cathy Blancas, Ana Quinata

MODERN NOSTALGIA

Pop culture meets floral fashion inspired by style icons

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA

A child of the Nineties, Niesha Blancas's influences were sparked from MTV moments and celebrities who graced the covers of the teen bop magazines she convinced her grandmother to buy for her at the checkout counter of their local grocery market Today, a social media expert and owner of Fresno, California-based Fetching Social Media, Niesha has managed Slow Flowers Society's profile on Instagram and Facebook for several years She's helped us promote previous American Flowers Week's botanical couture collections and her love of fashion design prompted Niesha to become even more involved -- this year as a creator

"This was my first effort, ever, " Niesha confides No stranger to the apparel industry, Niesha often produces editorial-style photo shoots for Brainchild, a vintage fashion company she launched while studying apparel merchandising and public relations at Fresno State University

Niesha jokes that Barbie was the first model she dressed in designs of her own "Growing up as an only child, my toys were probably more important to me than toys were to other kids with siblings There were a lot of times where I had to be

MODERN NOSTALGIA

creative when playing by myself -- and I was really attached to my Barbies Mine had all these wonderful outfits and shoes, but as I got older and started becoming obsessed with pop culture, I took it upon myself to create the looks I saw Britney Spears or Gwen Stefani wearing. I would ask my mom or grandmother if they had any scraps of fabric for me to use so I could sew little versions of their outfits for my Barbie. I was probably only around sevenyears-old!" When she was young, sewing an exact

I knew that I wanted my designs to be different, maybe something you would see on Lady Gaga, something outrageous like a tailored bodysuit you'd have seen sported onstage in the early 2000's "

With a plethora of flowers and foliage provided by Carlos Cardoza of CamFlor Inc., a Slow Flowers member farm based in Watsonville, California, Niesha started by separating the blooms into two identical batches ensuring both looks had an equal

replica of a Gwen Stefani music video outfit for her Barbie meant teaching herself how to use a needle and thread So, when Niesha decided to celebrate American Flowers Week with botanical garments for human models, she knew she could figure it out She also wanted her contribution to be different and unexpected. "I wanted to create something maybe you haven't seen someone do in the past for American Flowers Week "

In her own wardrobe, Niesha is a "fashion mash-up" practitioner and frequent thrift store shopper "My wardrobe is not tied to one decade The way I dress personally means wearing something modern, but with a twist That twist may be a hint of vintage from the sixties, or the eighties, but always intertwined somehow with the nineties "

The idea of dressing her two models in floral bodysuits came when Niesha pushed herself to think beyond the mini-dress looks she first sketched

balance of flower varieties, colors, and textures

"I only gave myself 48 hours to have everything done," she says "The flowers came on a Friday and I told myself I had to complete my entire first look by the end of that day I glued on the last flower at midnight!"

The foliage of Aucuba japonica, also called spotted laurel, isn't widely used in floral design, but when Carlos asked Niesha if she wanted some "funky" foliage options, she said "Yes," sight unseen. Typically found in landscapes of older properties, the broadleaf evergreen gains newfound fashion status as a unifying focal element of both of Niesha's looks The foliage appears as exaggerated, asymmetrical shoulder detail on one bodysuit and as a peplum skirt on the other.

To attach the botanical elements, Niesha used a lot of cold glue, finding that the faux leather material of one bodysuit and the woven cotton of the other base garment were suitable surfaces for glue

I knew that I wanted my designs to be different, maybe something you would see on Lady Gaga, something outrageous like a tailored bodysuit you'd have seen sported onstage in the early 2000's

She also built out the shoulder and hip details with small sections of chicken wire and thin upholstery foam (recycled from an old cushion) onto which the glossy spotted foliage was attached in fanned layers . "This was the vision and the volume I was going for," she explains

"I wanted the two looks to be different but cohesive." Niesha's brilliant styling adds glamour and sass. The models, her friends Jada and Gloria, are each wearing

he contrasts his films by providing a dark, moody feeling, but also with waves of bright elements -- this direction has always been a favorite of mine to include in my work."

Niesha is a little surprised at how well her imaginary floral outfits translated into three-dimensional botanical garments. "I could say I am my ideal client. In the nineties, I was a little kid who watched a ton of movies and glorified all these cool outfits

The combination of fishnet and rhinestones is a little edgy, yet dainty It's something I have always incorporated in my styling, whether for photo shoots or fashion shows Everything is always fun and girly, but with an edge.

dramatic blue eye shadow, sparkly accessories, opera gloves, and patterned black-and-white boots -- one, a short pair in cow-skin , and the other, a pair of knee-high, zebra-patterned boots

About her obsession with the opera gloves, Niesha says, "the combination of fishnet and rhinestones is a little edgy, yet dainty It's something I have always incorporated in my styling, whether for photo shoots or fashion shows Everything is always fun and girly, but edgy."

Her influence for this vibe is Tim Burton, director of the 1990 film "Edward Scissorhands , " one of Niesha's favorite childhood films. " I've always admired the way

But as a little kid, I couldn't dress like a teenager I think that's why I'm so obsessed with these looks now, since I am older and can wear whatever I want -- especially all the trends I used to see back then I love tapping into my nostalgic treasure trove and creating pieces that are funky and fun."

ONLY IN L.A.

Sports meets botanical couture at an iconic Los Angeles venue

LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM

Four Southern California Slow Flowers Society members from distinct facets of the floral marketplace teamed up to reinterpret a gold-and-purple #24 Los Angeles Lakers jersey -- in flowers -as a tribute to both the late basketball player Kobe Bryant and to the city of Los Angeles Captured on film at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and modeled by Talia Boone, founder of Postal Petals, the glam jersey "shift" has a regal, multi-colored botanical train appropriate for the grand sports venue .

Like the NBA Lakers, the Coliseum arena is an instantly recognizable symbol of the City of Angels It was declared a National Historic Landmark in conjunction with the 1984 Summer Olympics and is also home to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans football team.

The LA narrative came to life when Talia partnered with Yoni Levenbach, owner of Flowers Without Borders, a Southern California wholesaler who specializes in local and domestic sourcing, and Flower Duet, a design studio owned by partners Casey Schwartz and Kit Wertz. The creatives shared their ideas and talents, not to mention a passion for Los Angeles, culminating in a photo session with Randy Schwartz (Casey's spouse) owner of Randy Schwartz Photography, that captured

DESIGN CONCEPT Talia Boone, Postal Petals, postalpetalscom, @postalpetals

PRODUCTION + ENGINEERING DESIGN Kit Wertz + Casey Schwartz, Flower Duet, flowerduetcom, @flowerduetla

FLOWER DUET PRODUCTION TEAM Suhair Alnabulsi and Mandy Hughes

PHOTOGRAPHY Randy Schwartz, randyschwartzphotography, @randyschwartzphoto

MODEL Talia Boone HAIR Brandy Rice, @Thatchick703 MAKEUP Maria Castro, @LuzBeaut STYLIST Carroll, @svintjvmes

FLORAL PALETTE Seasonal California-grown flowers Grown by CamFlor Inc camflorcom @camflorinc; Ocean Breeze oceanbreezefarmscom, @oceanbreezefarmsca; and Tutuli Flower Farms, tutulicom

FLOWER PROCUREMENT Yoni Levenbach, Flowers Without Borders, flowerswithoutborderscom, @flowerswithoutborders

the Coliseum's soaring architecture as backdrop to the brilliant floral garment

Originally, Talia responded to our request to showcase the best of Southern California with the Lakers jersey idea "I'm a homegrown Los Angeles girl and I've always loved the Lakers," Talia explains "Immediately, when we thought of something to represent Southern California and Los Angeles, I knew we had to do a Lakers jersey

production know-how, including past endeavors ranging from large-scale floral installations to life-sized animal topiary Dress fabrication took place over two days, as Talia joined the Flower Duet team at their studio in south Los Angeles

The design uses vivid gold strawflower heads to cover most of the jersey's front, with purple and white statice cut from Kit's garden to create "stripes" and spell out the Lakers' logo and Kobe's

The creatives shared their ideas and talents, not to mention a passion for Los Angeles, culminating in a photo session that captured the Coliseum's soaring architecture as backdrop to the brilliant floral garment.

and I just thought it had to be Kobe's. You see jerseys worn as short dresses and this always looks cute, but I wanted step it up to have a high fashion-couture look with the train" She noted making a floral ensemble to celebrate American Flowers Week aligns with Postal Petals' mission of sourcing exclusively US-grown flowers for its DIY flowers-by-mail product line

Flowers Without Borders is the flower-sourcing arm of Talia's mail-order business, so Yoni naturally assumed the task of procuring flowers That was particularly challenging after Mother's Day when the fields and greenhouses of many local farms were cleaned out Working all of his grower contacts, Yoni procured about 700 stems, mostly California-grown flowers, including a blooming elderberry and California oak harvested from his own garden

When Flower Duet agreed to join the project as producer of the design, owners Kit and Casey tapped into more than a decade of event

legendary #24. The jersey's neckline is edged in a row of craspedia; its hem is finished with a band of gerbera blooms in primary yellow The project collaboration hit a full court drive when Kit and Casey saw Talia's sketch of a floral train, and they then quickly moved into event-producers' engineering mode

Considering the requirements for the train, they came up with a few ideas, deciding to make a separate train that could be easily transported and attached on site "I thought of Susan McLeary's use of faux leather for her floral collars," Kit says "Netting or muslin wouldn't have worked; we needed something that could handle the weight of all those flowers"

She found a 60-inch square remnant of faux leather and cut it into a diamond shape Working on a flat surface at the Flower Duet studio, Kit, Casey, Talia, and several Flower Duet team

members attached hundreds of stems to the rougher side of the faux leather, creating chevron bands and a center medallion on the train

"We had the side stripes to carry the purple and gold through for the Lakers theme," Kit explains "And in the middle, we mixed all the flowers -- the kangaroo paw, asters, gerberas, and more -- to show the different cultures and diversity of Los Angeles"

Movement inspired them to collaborate "There were some nights when I didn't sleep at all because I was trying to figure out the mechanics," Kit jokes Adds Casey, "On the busiest, busiest floral holiday of the year, I was out shopping for supplies on Mother's Day!"

To Talia, the train represents the vibrant melting pot existing in Los Angeles "I think it came out beautifully And this dress is a great way to

The top point of the train wraps over a chicken wire "bustle" (Kit covered the raw-cut edge with duct tape, hand-stitched the bustle to the train using a needle threaded with dental floss, and then stabilized the attachment with zip ties) Talia wore a construction back-support brace under the jersey for attaching the train "It was like a corset," Kit explains "We cut two little holes in the jersey and used small carabiner hooks to attach the train to the belt At one point, Talia also posed with the train as a cape, using her fingers to hook through the carabiners. I wish we had weighed the train because I know it was very heavy to wear "

This project came together in just under three weeks, thanks to a collective willingness to create a stunning botanical couture addition to the American Flowers Week series Members of the creative team didn't know one another, and yet their goal of supporting the Slow Flowers

illustrate what can come to life when we collaborate and work together That's the part that I enjoyed most, because it's something that I would not have been able to do on my own and I'm not sure if Yoni would have been able to do on his own It was a great experience for all of us to work together and pull this off "

"We mixed all the flowers -- the kangaroo paw, asters, gerberas and more -- to show the different cultures and diversity of Los Angeles "

L TRIBUTE

Sea ne judicial collars with botanicals

S, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Tammy Myers, founder of Seattle-based LORA Bloom, designed a stunning dahlia quilt for American Flowers Week's Botanical Couture collection in 2019 to honor the Karuk Tribe and her grandfather's Native American heritage

This year, Tammy is honoring a contemporary nfluence, the U.S. Supreme Court's late Associate e Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Tammy has long d Justice Ginsburg as both a fashion icon and ale role model "Ginsburg frequently wore over her judicial robes, something we also ssociate Justice Sonia Sotomayor doing I often wondered how her neckwear collection appear as flowers instead of lace or work In my research, I learned Ginsburg had te pieces that communicated subtle ages of the Court's decisions We know rs can speak in similar ways. "

A Time Magazine feature on Ginsburg's collars and jabots further captured Tammy's imagination

Author Tessa Berensen wrote in November 2020, " over time, Ginsburg’s collars came to symbolize more than just a long-overdue feminine energy

CREATIVE CONCEPT/CREATIVE DIRECTION Tammy Myers, LORA Bloom, lorabloomcom, @lorabloomflowers

COLLABORATING SLOW FLOWER FLORISTS Tammy Myers; Anne Bradfield, Analog Floral, @analog floral; Maura Whalen, Casablanca Floral, @casablancafloral; Sharlet Driggs, Sharlet Floral, @sharletfloral; and Lori Poliski, Flori, @floriflowers

OTHER FLORISTS Sophie Strongman, The Old Soul Flower Co, @theoldsoulflowerco and Kristal Hancock, Sublime Stems, @sublimestems

PHOTOGRAPHY Missy Palacol, Missy Palacol Photography, missypalacolcom, @missypalacol

MODEL Riva Juarez wwwrivaladivacom @rivaladiva HAIR + MAKEUP Riva Juarez

FLORAL PALETTE Domestic US-grown botanicals from Washington, Oregon and California

SHARLET DRIGGS; MAURA WHALEN (at right)

LORI POLISKI

KRISTAL HANCOCK

on the Supreme Court. To her, each one developed a special significance The style of the collar sometimes reflected the substance of her work; perhaps most famously, the liberal Ginsburg often wore a bejeweled collar that looked like armor on days she dissented"

Tammy saw an opportunity to celebrate Ginsburg's legacy for American Flowers Week She turned to the floral artists who are part of her LORA Bloom platform, an online, direct-to-consumer e-commerce site

the hem to a flirty length To embellish the robe, Tammy searched for as many "black" or "almost black" botanical elements as she could find. She cleverly deconstructed the leaves of a plum-black leucadendron to adorn the bands enclosing the robe's front zipper and created a gorgeous crown of blooms on the back of the garment using anthurium, scabiosa, calla lilies, and other deeply-hued botanicals as focal detail There is beautiful contrast in the shapes, forms and textures in all dark petals as

for locally-grown flowers "This project is quite ambitious for a variety of reasons. Because LORA Bloom represents a collective of local florists, we asked six florists to design a floral replica from RBG's collar collection," she says. Four Slow Flowers members, Anne Bradfield of Analog Floral, Maura Whalen of Casablanca Floral, Sharlet Driggs of Sharlet Floral, and Lori Poliski of Flori participated as designers, as well as Sophie Strongman of The Old Soul Flower Co and Kristal Hancock of Sublime Stems

Tammy tapped her friend Riva Juarez, a model, lifestyle blogger, and designer who covers DIY beauty and fashion as @rivaladiva to construct the "base garment" to showcase the floral collars. Riva transformed a boxy, black judicial robe into a stylish garment The resulting piece, which Riva modeled for the series, is a modern take on the classic courtroom robe Riva gathered the sleeves into dramatic cuffs; she tucked volumes of fabric into a flattering empire-style waistline, and shortened

they catch the light and add interest to the generic black cloth One indulgence: Tammy added feathery fern accents as a fluffy "skirt" detail "It's business in the front and party in the back," she jokes

Each botanical collar is highly inventive, influenced by the beading, lace, and fine metalwork of Ginsburg's judicial collars By reimagining materials grown and gathered from nature, pairing them with embroidery, crochet, and jewelry-making techniques, the designers show an evident affection for their subject "Undeniably, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the most distinguished, respected, and educated women in modern history," Tammy observes. "She manifested beauty inside and out. She walked where few women have Perhaps we can express our gratitude for the path she forged so we can achieve ours through the language of flowers"

Perhaps we can express our gratitude for the path she forged so we can achieve ours through the language of flowers.

CONCEPT/FLORAL DESIGN Jennifer Reed, Jennifer Designs, jenniferdesignseventscom, @Jenniferdesignsevent

PHOTOGRAPHY Haley Richter, haleyrichterphotocom, @haleyrichterphoto

MODEL Corey Radar, @coreyradar HAIR + MAKEUP Jessica Saint Beauty, jessicasaintcom, @jessicasaintbeauty

FLORAL PALETTE Spring bulb flowers and bougainvillea GARDEN ACCESSSORIES Terrain, shopterraincom, @shopterrain

COLLABORATING FARMS Jig-Bee Flower Farm, Kensington, Pennsylvania, jig-beecom, @jig bee, Platt’s Farm Market Clarksboro New Jersey @plattsfarmmarket

TULIP TIME

A new take on couture celebrates creativity and local flowers

660 COLLECTIVE, NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Floral designer and artist Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs has produced flowers for hundreds of weddings and events around the greater Philadelphia region She is a popular featured florist at the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show and leads design workshops in her Mullica Hill, New Jersey-based studio When a spark of inspiration prompted her to create and style a botanical couture piece for the 2021 American Flowers Week collection, Jennifer knew she wanted to design a look she hadn't seen in earlier years

Her muse for this project: Corey Radar, a friend and floral designer himself, who occasionally freelances for Jennifer Designs "What don't I see in previous floral fashions?" Jennifer asked herself The idea took root last year, at the 2020 Philadelphia Flower Show, when Jennifer designed a floral bikini for a model "Corey is a fabulous designer himself and he helps me occasionally We've worked on some fun projects He admired my bikini and jokingly asked me to make one for him because he likes to dress in drag for fun"

She recalled their conversation later when a local floral event hosted a drag performer "That just sparked something and I started sketching dresses for Corey," she recalls But Jennifer didn't want to create a traditional drag look "I wanted to

showcase a gardener -- A Drag Queen Gardener," she laughs It wasn't hard to sell the idea to Corey "Because he is an avid plantsman who treats his plants like babies," Jennifer says.

Things fell into place for a springtime photo shoot incorporating all locally-grown flowers and plants from area nurseries Jennifer gave Corey a white men ' s dress shirt, tied at the waist à la Diane Keaton. She designed a classic, 1950s-inspired skirt popularized by the Christian Dior "it" silhouette- fitted at the waist and falling into a full circle at

added a layer of moss to cover any mechanics or gaps before continuing to the next layer That extra step paid off in the end because the moss made everything look fluffy."

The eye-pleasing palette begins with white, buttery yellow and pale green blooms placed near the waist of the skirt The petal hues continue to orange and coral and end with shell and darker pink flowers dangling at the hem like fringe.

The styling, including the jade green heels and a

the hem Clad by hundreds of tulips, daffodils, hellebores, grape hyacinths, hyacinths, pansies, and bougainvillea blooms, the garment recalls a beautiful floral print

The skirt itself was a feat of engineering, Jennifer explains Its hoop skirt base is the type often worn under a ball gown or prom dress and made from metal hoops and tulle netting Midway through the production, the netting began to tear, so Jennifer's 10-year-old daughter, who had been taking sewing lessons, jumped in and stitched bands of ribbon to anchor it back together "I also made a harness of suspenders to distribute the weight so Corey could wear the heavy skirt more comfortably," Jennifer explains "He was also wearing five-inch heels!"

Working with her team members, she wired the spring blooms to the hoop skirt. "I wanted the arrangement to look natural, like a flower garden," she explains "Sometimes you have a single bloom; sometimes you have three flowers blooming together We started with the first layer and then

dazzling manicure, adds a good dose of camp. The "pearls" hanging around Corey's neck and earlobes are made from strands of white hyacinth pips Jennifer added vampy, oversized teal eyewear frames, and also tapped Jessica Saint, a hair and makeup artist who works in theater, to provide the flowing blonde wig and transform Corey's likeness into a 1950s 'lady gardener' He named the character "Tammy Tulips,"

Props include items one might expect to see in the pages of a vintage women ' s magazine: a flower basket, a straw hat, fancy tools, a watering can, gardening books, house plants, and more

The creative experience was both a lot of fun and personally rewarding, she adds "There was a point when all of a sudden, I started tearing up It was so moving to see an idea we put all our energy toward materialize into something beautiful"

I wanted the arrangement to look natural, like a flower garden.

LILAC DREAMS

The timeless, swoon-worthy lilac is the symbol of spring

KILCOYNE LILAC FARM, ACTON, CALIFORNIA

The best way to celebrate springtime is by inhaling the intoxicating fragrance of lilacs, known in Latin as Syringa vulgaris. Kilcoyne Lilac Farm in California's Antelope Valley, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, is a bucolic place owned and cared for by Elizabeth and Dennis Kilcoyne They cultivate more than 3,000 lilac plants on their 10-acre farm, making it truly a sight to behold when thousands of tiny florets burst into bloom, their plump clusters ranging in hues from pure white and pale pink to lavender, periwinkle, and plum

The year-round attention Elizabeth lavishes on her special plants pays off in early April when the farm plays host to a wild, three-week lilac harvest period With her small crew, Elizabeth cuts and bunches up thousands of fragrant stems for eager fans Depending on the volume of each year ' s harvest, she sells the bodacious blooms at local farmers' markets, through wholesale florists in Los Angeles, and to the many visitors who make the drive to Kilcoyne Lilac Farm--just to bring home a nostalgic armload of local lilacs

Santa Barbara-based floral designer Margaret Lloyd, owner of Margaret Joan Florals, is a lilac devotee who in the past has purchased bunches of Kilcoyne-grown lilacs at her area farmers' market. A rare find in Southern

DESIGNER Margaret Lloyd, Margaret Joan Florals, margaretjoanfloralscom, @margaretjoanflorals

PHOTOGRAPHY Lerina Winter, Lerina Winter Photography, lerinawintercom, @lerinawinterphoto Danny Miles, Danny Miles Photography, @dannyinthewoods

MODEL Jocelyn Kaylene, @jocelynkaylene HAIR + MAKEUP Jocelyn Kaylene

FLORAL PALETTE California-grown lilacs from Kilcoyne Lilac Farm kilcoynelilacfarmcom @kilcoynelilacfarm

LILAC DREAMS

California,sheknowshowtrulyspecialtheseflowers are "IwanttoinspireAprilbridestoconsideralilac bouquet,"shesays "Ijustlovethescentoflilacandif Iwasgettingmarriedinthespring,Iwouldwantto carryanall-lilacbouquet"

Wearinganall-lilacdressisanotheraspiration altogether WhenweinvitedMargaretandElizabeth tocollaborate,theywereimmediatelyintrigued

Lilacisn'tknownforlastinglongoutofwater,so Margaretworkedquicklyoverone-and-one-half days WhenshearrivedatKilcoyneLilacFarm,the lilacswerecutandhydrated,readytotransforminto awearablefashion "Icuttheflowersintolittle, workablepiecesandthendroppedthemintoahalfinchofwaterinthebottomofaplasticbin Theshort pieceskeptdrinkingwateruntilIstartedgluingthem tothegarment,"sheexplains."Next,Iflattenedone

andtheycombinedtalentstoplanaspringphoto shootfeaturingamodelwearingalilacfrockina groveoflilactrees.

MargaretandElizabethkeptaneyeonthebloom calendarandzeroedinonearlyAprilforfabricating andphotographingthegarmentforAmerican FlowersWeek Elizabethpreviouslyworkedinthe fashionindustryasapattern-makerbeforeretiring earlytoraisechildrenandbecomeaflowerfarmer, sosheofferedtotransformMargaret'sconceptand constructatopandskirtasthebasegarment

Margaret'sideawastotorecalloldCaliforniaand theregion'scowboyculture "ThisissortofamakebelievestoryfromaHollywoodWestern,"shejokes "IfHollywoodwantedtomakeacowgirlmoresexy, theywouldcreatethisflirtyoutfit"

Stylingandstorytellingwereimportanttothe designerwhogatheredWestern-styleaccessories, includingshortboots,awhite-brimmedhat,anda leatherbeltwithbrassdetails Sheknewhermodel JocelynKaylene,withwhomshe'dworkedinthe past,wouldeffortlesslypulloffthelook

sideofeachpieceIwouldgluetothefabric."

Margaretusedacombinationofcoldglueandspray adhesivetocoverthetwo-piecedresswithlilacbits SheusedwhitelilacfloretsfortheshoulderflatteringblouseandpairedseveralofElizabeth's favoriteplumanddarkpurplevarietiestocreatethe flaredskirt Smallerlilacpiecesaroundthewaistand hipsensuredaflatteringfit,whilefullerclustersform thepointed,asymmetricalhem.

WhenMargaretdesignsweddingflowerssheworks withcouplestohelprelatetheirpersonalityand storythroughflowers Inasimilarway,sheused

Elizabeth'slilacstohelptellKilcoyneLilacFarm's storyofplace,seasonandbloom "Theselilacsare Elizabeth'sbabies Shecallsthembytheirnames andherfarmisaplaceofpride."

Thefleetinglilacseasonoffersaglimpseintothe rarebeautyofasinglecherishedflower,reimagined asfashion

The fleeting lilac season offers a glimpse into the rare beauty of a single cherished flower, reimagined as fashion.

ZINNIA QUEEN

A luxe gown, fashioned from cut flower trial grounds

JOHNNY'S TRIAL GARDENS, WINSLOW, MAINE

For the third year, the floral team at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine, is fully embracing the spirit of American Flowers Week by sponsoring a floral fashion for our annual botanical couture collection Hillary Alger, floral and herb product manager, and Joy Longfellow, manager of the floral trial program, have supported Slow Flowers designers in previous years, helping with the harvest and providing production. For 2020, the two floral experts were inspired to create their own floral gown

Hillary relied on her fine arts training, and together with Joy, the duo tapped their extensive knowledge of the Zinnia genus. "Zinnias are Johnny's second-most important crop

DESIGNER Hillary Alger, Johnny's Seeds PHOTOGRAPHY Kristen Earley, Johnny's Seeds

MODEL Joy Longfellow, Johnny's Seeds HAIR /MAKEUP Joy Longfellow

FLORAL PALETTE Maine-grown annual flowers and foliage from Johnny's Selected Seeds, johnnyseedscom, @johnnys seeds

ZINNIA QUEEN

after sunflowers and we always have a big trial plot," Hillary says "Not only do we love them, but we have them in abundance -- enough to make something extravagant like floral fashion."

The women spent much of last summer brainstorming "We kept asking each other, 'Can we do this?' 'Can we make it happen?'," Hillary says "At one point, we decided we were 'in,' and then Joy and I walked the fields to figure out what appealed to us We loved the eucalyptus and Mahogany Splendor hibiscus leaves combined with zinnias for a bold, grand palette"

The team hit a snag when attaching the piece around Joy's waist, though "The bustle was so heavy and the skirt structure wasn't strong enough to stay secure on Joy's hips," Hillary recalls. "My husband, Jon Hill, came home after work to find a shop full of flowers as we tried to solve the problem Luckily, he is both a mechanical engineer and excellent sewer. He fashioned an industrial-strength belt-corset that fit around Joy's waist -- and it was perfect"

Joy is more likely found wearing her favorite plaid shirt and jeans as she records and evaluates quantitative data in the flower fields Dressing up

Their project began with a foundation: a bridesmaid's dress in Joy's closet, one that fit her well, but was unlikely to be worn again. Hillary sketched a body-flattering concept incorporating the shape of Joy's dress and added a decadent floral bustle to trail behind. She constructed the dress in two parts, first using a fusible webbing to attach the wine-colored hibiscus and sage-green eucalyptus foliage to cloth panels for the bodice. Volumes of fine-mesh window screening and layers of tulle netting were gathered to form the bustle -the canvas for thousands of zinnias

After picking buckets and buckets of flowers, the Johnny's team, including volunteer co-workers, convened at Hillary's home to clip and glue flowers in an array of red, scarlet, rose, purple, wine and coral petals There are 39 zinnia varieties and seed mixes in the Johnny's catalog, with many of them represented in this luscious garment The finished train, covered in a floral pavé, suggests draped tapestry

in a zinnia gown and wearing makeup isn't her typical "look " Johnny's staff photographer Kristen Earley documented the beautiful dress in the zinnia fields during a pre-dusk golden hour session late last summer She captured a perfect moment to savor, when the colorful flowers are at their peak

For Hillary, this was much more than a project to showcase zinnias and other cut flower varieties in Johnny's catalog "Making a flower dress was extra special; for a lot of us at Johnny's it was the first time we actually had done anything together since March of 2020. It was this really magical, joyful moment that only comes from doing something communal A few people stayed on through the photo shoot, just to help and watch They couldn't pull themselves away We were all on Cloud Nine."

Perhaps we can express our gratitude for the path she forged so we can achieve ours through the language of flowers

DESIGNER Kathleen Barber, Erika's Fresh Flowers, @erikasfreshflowers MODEL Robert Barber

PHOTOGRAPHY Kathleen Barber, Kathleen Barber Photography, kathleenbarberphotocom, @kathleenbarberphoto

NORTHWEST FOLKLORE

Telling the story of an early spring through a camera's lens

WARRENTON, OREGON

Owner of Warrenton, Oregon-based Erika's Fresh Flowers, Kathleen Barber grows many of her own floral design ingredients. She also is an award-winning fine art photographer and member of the Professional Photographers Association

"I wanted to tell a story about the Pacific Northwest in early spring," she explains "My character is a hunter-gatherer wearing his woodsman's apron. Daffodils are the first sign of spring here along the coast, so I used them, along with bay leaves, moss, eucalyptus bark, Douglas fir branches, and pine cones -- all from my garden"

With dark green felt as the apron base, Kathleen attached her botanical ingredients with cold glue, working from the hem toward the bib. Fir branches create the apron ' s "fringe." The midsection is formed by bands of eucalyptus bark, moss dotted with tete-a-tete narcissus and overlapping bay leaves. Over 200 vibrant golden double-daffodils decorate the bib The heirloom blooms originated from clumps Kathleen's father dug and transplanted decades ago from spots along old Oregon logging roads

Kathleen's son Robert Barber, a college student studying electrical engineering, became her willing model. She imagines that his character has returned from fishing in a mythical stream The scene is earthy, almost Hobbit-like, styled with old-world props including a deer skull, a cleaver, reference books, and weathered candlesticks

The apron coordinates with Robert's peasant shirt finished with durable leather cuffs and a wool cape he brought home from a trip to Germany When Robert donned the hood, Kathleen knew her floral narrative was complete -- a forest character come alive straight from the pages of a Tolkien story or a Brothers Grimm tale

FLORAL PALETTE Daffodils and foraged woodland ingredients from Erika's Fresh Flowers, a cutting garden in coastal Oregon

OF BARK + BIRCH

Searching the New Hampshire woods for design ingredients

CANDIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE

April Holmes is a small-scale grower, floral artist, and lifelong crafter who found herself in need of a creative distraction from chronic illness and pain. After designing smaller wearables, April was inspired to create a head-to-toe botanical ensemble for American Flowers Week Her resulting design elevates saplings, peeled birch bark, and an abundance of faded leaves into a whimsical fantasy narrative

Owner of April Showers Flowers, April grows her flowers on a seven-acre farm in rural Candia, outside Manchester, New Hampshire, the state's largest city She supplies CSA subscribers through her "Blossoming Buds Flower Club," and creates Mandala-styled floral art, which she photographs, prints on canvas, and sells through her Etsy shop In 2021, April plans to open a flower shack in her community to sell arrangements and her artwork, as well as gifts and herbal body products

Growing flowers to sell as art is one thing, but April also "loves to push the boundaries of creativity when working with flora," she says

"I started with smaller pieces like flower crowns Then, I slowly moved to more ideas and larger concepts finding inspiration from Susan McLeary and her book

BARK + BIRCH

The Art of Wearable Flowers," she says. Last winter, stuck at home in New England for months on end, April was pulled by the creative muse of nature The inspiration for her evocative woodland couture came from the forest floor: large sheets of birch bark, the edges curling back to reveal a lighter contrast to the cinnamon-colored sections. "I've always been attracted to birch bark You see it on the ground; it peels and curls in all different shades," she explains

overlapping layers of foliage to resemble oversized sequins of 1920s flapper dresses Cold glue didn't work as well as Fabri-Tac. "It's clear, it holds quickly, and it stays a little bit pliable instead of getting hard like some glue," she says. She collaborated with her frequent model, Winter Morrissey, who sewed a long, white slip dress as the base garment Winter also stitched an overskirt to which the leaves were glued The skirt wraps around the waist and ties in front

Her design elevates saplings, peeled birch bark and an abundance of faded leaves into a whimsical fantasy narrative.

After trying a number of techniques to fashion a corset, the designer glued felt to the back of the birch panel so it wouldn't scratch her model. Ever inventive, she used a heat gun to warm the material so the curled edge at the top of the corset would take shape.

Enchanted by the shapes, faded colors, and translucence of birch and beech leaves, many still attached to the dormant trees in New England's deciduous forest, April envisioned a flowing skirt. When she started working with the leaves, though, they quickly shattered "I remembered seeing someone use glycerin and water to soften eucalyptus, so I tried boiling a batch of leaves in water and glycerin, and -- success! -- they became supple and soft."

Once treated, the leaves were " a dream to work with," April says "It made the whole process easier because I was able to chip away at the garment over a couple of months instead of working in a two-day window with fresh flowers" Starting at the hem, she attached individual leaves, one at a time, row after row,

coordinates perfectly with the all-organic vibe of a bark corset and floor-length leaf skirt. April had access to a neighboring property with thousands of birch saplings "I harvested them to form the hair-like headpiece," April explains She crafted the headpiece from Warbla, a product used by cosplay artists to make armor and other contoured pieces

She attached to it a separate piece made from structural wire covered in air-dry clay into which she poked the saplings to create a hair-like mane "Toward the top, where I wanted the 'hair' to fold over, I actually boiled the branches and then bent them and tied them for a few days to make the shape"

The entire look is a flight of one woman ' s imagination -- and it draws attention to the beauty of nature in an entirely new way "There is so much beauty already here around us, " April says "If you ' re stuck at home, go outside and look for it If you ' re stuck in a city, go for a walk into nature It's so healing and even if you ' re not physically healed, nature can heal emotionally."