The world of fashion design can be challenging – perfecting the flow of a gown or spending hours on beading is not easy.
But the materials make the dress, and creating couture is even more difficult when working with flowers.
The Fleurs de Villes Floral Mannequin Series is returning to Metropolis at Metrotown, and two Burnaby florists will be competing.
Passion Floral Boutique has been at Highgate Village for nearly 14 years, according to owner Choymann Lo.
Lo was approached to be part of the mannequin series.
“It was a challenging thing to do,” she said. “It’s not every day I get to dress a mannequin.”
She is excited about incorporating plants and fresh flowers in the piece, she added.
Lo is using succulents on the back of the dress, with the front a mix of birch bark, orchids, roses and filler plants.
“The main colour scheme is going to be purples, whites and greens,” she said.
Lo faces two challenges with the project – getting it from the shop to the mall and keeping the flowers fresh.
“Everything needs to be hydrated very well before it gets attached,” Lo said. “You rely on the mechanics behind putting the flowers on the mannequin.”
The other Burnaby florist competing in the series is returning for a second year, after winning three awards at the 2017 Fleurs de Villes.
Natalie Chow, owner of Lotus Flower Boutique on Dawson Street, comes from a family of florists. She’s hoping to create something on par with last year’s winning mannequin.
“Hopefully this year we can put it in to play as well as we did last year,” she said.
Chow learned a lot from the previous event, she told the NOW.
“It was such an amazing experience,” she said. “Anything is possible when it comes to fresh flowers. The shapes and everything they made, it was completely different.”
However, one thing will be one major change for Chow this year – her mentor, who helped her last year, will be competing against her.
“The pressure is on,” she said.
While last year’s mannequin was quite dramatic, with peacock feathers and deep colours, Chow is working with a lighter palette this time around.
“This year we’re doing a really clean, pure look,” she said. “We’re using soft whites and pinks and succulents and stuff like that.”
The Fleurs de Villes Floral Mannequin Series is at Metropolis at Metrotown from May 2 (today) to 6. For more information, go to fleursdevilles.com.
