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L’Occitane and Vancouver’s Maureen Sullivan.
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Eveline Charles and Edmonton’s Flowers by Merle.
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Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley of Fleurs de Villes.
The Floral Mannequin Series
Fashion blooms.
Bespoke blooms trimmed and shaped to look like the latest in haute couture will take root in a selection of Canadian shopping malls when the Floral Mannequin Series, a unique initiative combining florals and fashion, kicks off its third annual cross-country tour later this month.
An extravagant flower show timed to celebrate the arrival of spring, the Floral Mannequin Series features stunning, original designs created by local florists in each participating city. The looks are made from hundreds of dazzlingly arrayed fresh flowers, and range from botanical bikinis and birch bark bustiers to bird of paradise gowns with orchid headpieces and hydrangea high heels.
An extravagant flower show timed to celebrate the arrival of spring, the Floral Mannequin Series features stunning, original designs created by local florists in each participating city.
“It’s a showcase of fantastic floral design with pop-up floral galleries in shopping malls,” says Karen Marshall who conceived the event as a fashion-spectacle-meets-European-flower-market. “And no two shows are the same because of the local talent,” adds co-founder Tina Barkley, Marshall’s business partner in Fleurs de Villes, a Vancouver-based branding and sponsorship company servicing the Canadian flower industry, including growers and nurseries, among other lifestyle clients. “The design pieces are works of art.”
Florists collaborate with corporate sponsors in creating their designs. This year’s participants include the Ottawa Tulip Festival and fashion brand Viktor & Rolf. Each market will also feature a wedding dress creation made of fresh florals, and given the upcoming Royal Wedding, rumour has it that inspiration for one of the designs will come from Meghan Markle’s dress.
The third iteration of the Floral Mannequin Series will include 90 different florists in malls in six Canadian urban centres. They are: Place Ste-Foy in Québec City (April 11–15), Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa (April 18–22), Vaughan Mills in Toronto (April 19–23), Metropolis at Metrotown in Vancouver (May 2–6), Southgate Centre in Edmonton (May 30–June 3), and CrossIron Mills in Calgary (May 31–June 4).
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