A Chat with author Julie Marie Schmitt
Why did WildFlower Media and you create this book? What’s its purpose?
During my 14 years as a floral designer, I have seen more and more designers being captivated by creative, unusual and, often, extravagant wearable flowers for weddings and proms. I’ve also witnessed the emergence of floral couture fashion shows and photoshoots. Many floral designers have found a creative outlet in this genre of floral design, enabling them to express their inner fashion artistry and show others what a floral artist can really do. So, it seemed the right time to collect these designs from floral- couture artists worldwide. The inspiration was to share the different realms in which floral designers have embraced floral couture along with education: step-by-step instructions for several of the more complex and unusual designs. This book honors what is beautiful in an elevated way and shares floral education.
What makes this book uniquely different from others in the floral book marketplace?
We tried to create a book that was more in line with the feel of a fashion magazine, like Vogue. The photographs are very fashion- forward stylized, which, many times, gives the readers the sense that these designs could literally be on a model in Milan, Paris or New York. Furthermore, we created each “chapter” to represent fashion departments, similar to how one might shop an upscale bouquet or fashion design studio. In addition, the inclusion of educational elements that teach the readers how to create floral botanical necklaces, bracelets, dresses, headpieces, tattoos and scarves balances the beautiful photos with something tangible to take away from this book—and this separates this book from others on the market.
What do you hope readers will gain from this book, and how do you hope they will use this book?
The hope with any floral design book is to inspire designers in some way. With Flowers to Wear, we hope that readers will find a magical spark that will ignite them to create their own floral-couture designs. Some floral designers already know the mechanics behind creating headpieces, but they might be inspired to re-create a design in the book into something different or more within their signature style. Others, who want to create floral-couture designs but don’t currently have the technical skill set, will find eight step-by-step instructions to teach them how to begin. Thus, if designers see anything in this book that stirs the embers of creativity, then we have accomplished our goals!