4 Winners of Flower Power Daily’s Monthly Fab Florists Series
Here are some gorge shots of the winners of the Fab Florists Friday series this past month.
As you know, we realize that there are floral artists who may not get the splashes of publicity like others but are worth knowing and visiting.
We are not only curators of all things beautiful here but consider ourselves Sherlock Holmes investigators who dig for clues on not only floral trends but artists who elevate the art of floral design to high achievement.
Enjoy their work!
Four Fab Florists to Know
1) Washington D.C. Volanni Florists
Florist Michael Lanni in Washington, D.C. has the privilege of creating the arrangements at the Supreme Court aside from providing residents of the nation’s capital lovely arrangements.
In fact, he had the “immense” honor of creating the flowers for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s viewing.
Natch, he included freesia and white hydrangeas in the designs since those were RBG’s favorite flowers.
“I created the arrangements with strength and a lot of flow and a lot of movement,” says Lanni, who is a former monk.
But as you will see in these other designs, he also creates colorful architectural arrangements that many judge to be equally fabulous.
It’s not a surprise really that he pursued floristry after devoting much of his life to contemplation and nature.
“There are sacred elements in flowers,” he says. Furthermore, the “art of floral design is a sacred process of receiving and giving. Receiving a commission presents the opportunity to work with the natural beauty of flowers to create a sculpture.”
What we love about his work is there is always a nod to the power of nature and its exalting presence in all living things.
We also literally gasped with pleasure when we saw one of their bridal arrangements where the team at Vonelli suggested using flowers in the hair to match the bouquet. Doesn’t this feel so dreamy and well, ethereal?
2) NYC: Scotts Flowers
We chose Scotts Flowers because they know exactly who they are and who they want to be.
Check out the dramatic display of Hanoi blush ranunculus, bold white and black anemones, white tulips and fragrant freesia. (Always have a soft spot for anemones and ranunculus).
While it has become trendy to create floral arrangements with garden-like airiness and a loose approach, this family shop sticks to classic designs that are also beautiful and inventive.
“While we provide novelty, our designs are full and lush,” says Rob Palliser whose father bought the shop in 1982.
You are going to get a lot of flowers in their arrangements that ooze with a feeling of abundance and generosity. We really like the Dutch ‘Verena’ hydrangeas here and different color roses.
Plus they have good price points. Furthermore, they provide same day service to not only New York City residents but outer boroughs stretching to Westchester and Long Island.
3) Chicago: Rupali Shete
Since it was International Day of Non-Violence which was inspired by the birthday of Mahatama Gandhi and his pioneering philosophy for adherence to peace and humanism, we gave a shout-out to Chicago-based florist Rupali Shete.
She was a science graduate who wanted to become a doctor. After attending a flower arranging class in London, her passion for flowers was ignited. That should inspire anyone who thinks that tomorrow doesn’t offer surprises and possibilities.
Now the professional florist spends most of her time creating award-winning installations as well as creating work for private clients.
Her work charms and embraces cultural themes.
In Indian culture, the most dominant color is orange because it represents courage and sacrifice. It also is such a pretty color to use for fall arrangements and signifies the spirit of the season. Plus the addition of pink makes you think it’s not quite winter yet.
4) Miami: Aniska Creations
Based in Miami, Florida, we have been huge fans of the mother-daughter team at Aniska Creations.
The work of Ana and daughter Anais is just so exuberant and bright that you want to smile the moment you see it.
Check out this dahlia arrangement which is our lead photo. The coral, peach and raspberry colors blend so seamlessly and notice how they created a slight “V” section slanted ever so slightly at the top for some air and intrigue.
And then there is this vintage arrangement. The pale pink glads and astilbe create a bouncy height and sweep over the vase. It’s as though the flowers have stretching arms announcing, “I’m up and ready to please.” You can almost smell those Lillies positioned as welcoming special focal points.
You can rely on this team to create festive special arrangements which is why they have such a large following and we are so happy to share their artistry with you.
Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD.