L.E.A.F. Festival 2022 Returns to NYC June 10th

By Jill Brooke

Good news for flower lovers in New York who missed the Chelsea Flower Show in London because the team behind L.E.A.F flower show is having an encore in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District starting Friday.

Over 100 – yes 100 floral designs – will be assembled by talented florists ranging from Lewis Miller to Larskpur Designs that will transform the Meatpacking District into an urban Garden of Eden.

These floral extravaganzas will be displayed across the District’s plazas and within retail and hospitality storefronts – and also boost the local economy.

“I am delighted for L.E.A.F to return to the Meatpacking District this year, for the second annual Festival of Flowers. We look forward to transforming the streets of New York once again and turning them into a riot of color, spotlighting the abundance of great florist and floral designer talent in our city,” said Moira Breslin, Founder of L.E.A.F and Articulate, a leading strategic communications agency in New York City. “It is through the support of our community, local businesses and incredible partners – the Meatpacking District, FTD, Pernod Ricard USA, TF Cornerstone and of course, the Florists – that we can continue to make this a reality. We hope that both New Yorkers and visitors will join us this June to share in the beauty of flowers.”

This three-day affair takes place Friday, June 10th and Saturday, June 11th from 11:00AM to 6:00PM through Sunday, June 12th from 11:00AM to 5:00PM and is supported by FTD®  (Florists’ Transworld Delivery) and Pernod Ricard USA,

Here’s the line-up everyone so put it on. your calendar and I will also share some particular special installations with you this weekend. Our team will judge the best installations as flower lovers and look for your input on Instagram as well for fan favorites.

Activations and installations throughout the weekend will include the following:

• Absolut Vodka – Gansevoort Plaza South – Absolut will create a floral installation, inspired by Absolut Out & Open which provides support to LGBTQ bars and restaurants, designed by East Olivia.

• Brunello Cucinelli – 50 Gansevoort Street – Specializing in the world’s finest cashmere, Brunello Cucinelli features the best in Italian-made ready-to-wear, leather goods, and home accessories and will participate with a doorway floral installation.

• Caudalie – 823 Washington Street – In-store floral installation, designed by Flower Bodega.

• Chelsea Market – 15th Street, between Ninth & Tenth Avenues – Installation on the marquee entrance designed by The Unlikely Florist, and inside the market designed by Damselfly and Larkspur.

• Dante West Village – 551 Hudson Street – Just south of the Meatpacking District, Dante will be host to a floral pop-up with Perrier-Jouët Champagne, designed by Popup Florist.

• Diane von Furstenberg – 874 Washington Street – Designed by FTD, in-store floral installation outfitting the windows with a floral forward installation, complimenting the season’s newest styles.

• FlowerSchool New York – Little West 12th Street, between Washington and Ninth Avenue – Bringing the art of flowers to enthusiasts across Little West 12th Street.

• FTD – Gansevoort South Plaza – FTD has teamed up with longtime collaborators and New York based exterior design and landscaping firm, Manscapers. Drawing inspiration from artful spaces that coexist in nature, FTD and Manscapers will incorporate dried grasses, in season florals and meadow blooms to bring the brand’s iconic Mercury Man® logo to life in a way that makes it feel like a permanent fixture of the neighborhood.

• The Gansevoort Hotel – Perrier-Jouët Champagne will adorn the El Toro de Oro sculpture with florals by The Unlikely Florist.

• Google Store Chelsea – 76 Ninth Avenue – In-store floral installation, designed by Simply Design NYC.

• Hermès – 46 Gansevoort Street – Hermès, the renowned House of artisanal craftsmanship, will feature a floral installation outside their store designed by McQueens.

• LaCroix Sparkling Water – Gansevoort Plaza South – Large scale installation inspired by its new flavor Cherry Blossom, designed by East Olivia.

• Lewis Miller Design – 14th Street Plaza – Lewis Miller will be doing a series of Flower Flash installations in collaboration with West Coast Street Artist Scott Froschauer.

• Loro Piana – 3 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014 – In-store floral installation.

• Lucid Motors – 2 Ninth Avenue – In-store floral installation, designed by Rachel Cho Floral Arrangements.

• Marni – 1 Gansevoort Street – Marni will be offering gift with purchase during L.E.A.F weekend.

• Meatpacking District Installation – South Side of 14th Street – The Meatpacking District’s iconic display will return to 14th Street Square with an installation entitled ‘The Colonnade: A Forest of Flowers.’ Inspired by the bold re-emergence of the city, and designed by Theresa Rivera Design, The Colonnade will be an explosion of blooms, creating A Forest of Flowers in the heart of the neighborhood. It will tower from the cobbles to the sky with live Japanese Maples, an explosion of hybrid delphinium and a shower of oncidium orchids; allium and liatarius will shoot up from behind corten steel clad benches, and three 8’ hexagonal stages will be covered in moss, branches, palms, and greens galore.

• Modern Picnic – Washington Street – Modern Picnic is a community driven, DTC brand that makes high end, insulated lunch bags for women. They will be partnering with Forget Me Knots on their L.E.A.F. booth, where they will be showcasing their new Summer Collection including a limited edition Wicker style.

• Pastis – 52 Gansevoort Street – Spritz cocktails with French aperitif Lillet accompanied by floral installation designed by McQueens Flowers.

• Rag & Bone – 425 W 13th St – Flowerpsycho will be adorning the storefront in fresh florals.

• Santa Maria Novella – Gansevoort Plaza South – The oldest heritage brand in the world, Santa Maria Novella will spread mysterious Italian wonder in New York City, launching  L’IRIS their first eau the Parfum through an activation using flowers as timeless vessels of beauty and knowledge, installed by Popup Florist.

• Seedlip – Gansevoort Plaza South – The pioneer and world’s number one non-alcoholic spirit brand, Seedlip will share with attendees complementary cocktail samples featuring their range of nature-forward expressions, in an activation curated by McQueens.

• Soho Home – 401 West 14th Street – In-store floral installation, designed by Cape Lily.

• The Standard – 848 Washington Street – Botanically-inspired floral installation serving curated cocktails and free-spirited drinks.

• t.a. – 332 West 13th Street – In-store floral installation, designed by Carmen & Co.

• TF Cornerstone – Little West 12th and Washington Street – Flower Market sponsor TF Cornerstone will embody Brooklyn swagger to create a retro, floral-filled experience on the corner of Little West 12th and Washington St. Utilizing mid-century furniture and funky room accessories, they will inspire your NYC apartment #WFH goals. The activation, with flora curated by Brooklyn Blooms, will include an array of exotic textures and hues, including mudcloth print hand-painted onto monstera leaves.

• Theory – 40 Gansevoort St – Usher in warmer, longer days with Theory’s flower bodega, featuring blooms inspired by pieces from the brand’s Summer 2022 collection. Created in partnership with McQueens.

• The Chester – 18 Ninth Avenue – Cranberry Ginger Smash cocktails from The Glenlivet and complimentary popsicles from Island Pops accompanied by photo-worthy floral installation.

• Warby Parker – 819 Washington St – Stop by Warby Parker on Washington St. and treat yourself to a custom flower cookie from The Meringue Bakeshop, free with any sunwear purchase.

• The Whitney Museum of American Art – 99 Gansevoort Street – Presenting a series of free, on-site public programs and events celebrating Pride for visitors of all ages. Whitney Pride! activates the Museum building, the surrounding neighborhood, and the Whitney Lawn, a 6,000 square foot temporary pedestrian-only, grassy thoroughfare outside the Museum on Gansevoort Street, which will also feature a floral installation by FDK Florals. Whitney Pride! is part of the Museum’s ongoing commitment to support LGBTQ+ artists and communities and offer an inclusive space for all to gather and enjoy American art. For more information visit whitney.org/pride.

• Floral Installations – 25 floral plinth installations will adorn the streets of the Meatpacking District and are presented by Aurora Capital and William Gottlieb Real Estate (Ariston Flowers NYC), BallSB (Ball Horticultural), Cape Lily, Fête Florals, Flower Bodega, FlowerSchool New York, Jung Lee, Ora la Casa de Las Flores, Petal and Company, Polycarp Flowers, Raven Hollow Guild, Sage Realty (Flower Bodega), Simply Nia Design, Starbucks (Larkspur Botanicals, florals supplied by Prism Harvest), Taconic Partners (Raven Hollow Guild), Topo Chico (East Olivia), Van Vliet NY and Naranjo Roses and George Rallis Wholesale.

Doesn’t this just sound divine? We can’t wait!! So bring your dogs, your kids, your friends and have some fun.

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,  floral editor for Aspire Design and Home magazine and contributor to Florists Review magazine.

Photo Credit: FPD