PAGE 16
PEOPLE | SHOPPING | EVENTS | DINING | CULTURE
89TH AND AUTUMN
Michaela
Jessica
T
win sisters Michaela and Jessica Namynanik founded their floral design and wedding company, 89th and Autumn, to bring beauty and joy into the lives of others. With the opening of their Flower Shoppe at the Mill on Etowah, the fully re-purposed historic Cotton Mill in Canton, the pair offers timeless and whimsical floral design for discerning customers. We sat down with the twins to find out more about them and their love of all things floral. What inspired your love of flowers? Michaela - I’ve always appreciated the beauty of nature and flowers! I remember going to Yellowstone National Park when I was ten years old and seeing the most beautiful wildflowers that I had never seen before. It wasn’t the only time I had noticed wildflowers, but it was on this trip I remember being so taken aback by how they made me feel so inspired and peaceful. Jessica - Our Uncle Paul had such a beautiful garden and as a child, visiting his home, I was so in awe of the beauty that he had spilling out of his flower beds. It was that moment I realized how vast the world of gardening and flowers was; it became one I continued to explore as I got older.
What led you to open a flower shop in downtown Canton? Michaela - I just moved back from southern California, and we knew this would be the perfect timing and opportunity to jump into something together! Working together had always been a dream for us and one we knew would come true eventually. I had worked as a florist in California for several years and we decided to come together with our love of all types of design and start The Flower Shoppe. Canton was an easy choice for us. We love this city, and we love the potential as this city continues to grow. We love being a part of that growth. How did you choose the name of your shop and what does it mean? Jessica - 89th and Autumn is a name Michaela and I came up several years ago together. We knew we would want to start a design business together. Eighty-nine came from the year we were born and autumn the season that our birthday falls in. It was a perfect name for anything we would want to do together and so as we launched our design business, 89th and Autumn was a great overarching brand. The Flower Shoppe is just our first expression.