By Soula Baltas AIFD Cfd CAFA
Inspired by the fluid elegance of Keith Walker’s sculpture “Biota”, we designed our piece to look alive and in motion, her dress and hair flowing with energy, while still honoring the artistry above her. We choose to keep the bolder colors (preserved rose petals) on the underside of the dress to guide onlookers eyes upward. We made her gown with dusty miller, hydrangea florets and eucalyptus, her hair with pampas grass, her crown was an aluminum base covered with jute with individual statice blooms glued onto it. Industrial aluminum wire was twisted using a drill for the boning on the dress and fastened to the mannequin like a backpack. Two L brackets were attached for additional support and bamboo helped lift the dress to her waist so that when the florals were attached it could drop and still appear as though it were floating. All mechanics were concealed with a second layer of fabric, we formed and shaped the skirt and the gluing began.
But here’s where we put our own twist on it: because Classic Gardens is a garden center, we wanted to include plants alongside the flowers. We wanted to mimic the unique shapes on the glasswork and added protea and craspedia to bromeliads using them as a water source. Phalaenopsis orchid plants were secured to large rocks, echeveria, sansevaria and haworthia were made into kokedama and concealed the containers we used to make the garden under her dress. That inspiration also came from our cultural partner, the Muttart Conservatory which houses over 700 plant species and was hosting the show. The entire installation was 100% foam-free but our mannequin was only sustainable below the knees, we used so much glue!
Ours was just one of many breathtaking creations at Fleurs de Villes and we’re proud to say it won Most Creative!
Designed by Soula Baltas AIFD Cfd CAFA for Classic Flowers by HdK
The team included:
Margaret Ann Hinkley (Two Buds Floral Design)
Matthew Hallgreen (horticulturist and custom designer for Classic Gardens) and Luella Jones (assistant with the custom design team for Classic Gardens).
