In life, in general, flowers are a good feeling. Perhaps even doubly so when your job involves animating things and spaces, rendering them simultaneously sweet and surreal, with the touch of a bloom. This is Hattie Molloy’s world, and we’re about to breathe it in.
“Floristry and flowers have been a staple of my creativity since I was a child. I often found myself foraging through local garden beds, creating posies for family members and friends alike. In adulthood, this affinity only increased as I began to engage with floristry as installation and sculpture. It has been a long, and I will admit, sometimes arduous journey to where I am now, but it has also been a rich and rewarding experience,” says Melbourne floral designer Hattie Molloy, whose signature style can be explored (and borrowed) for your own pleasure, over on our Instagram.
“I find a lot of inspiration in the world around me; the gardens of Melbourne’s inner suburbs, secondhand bookstores and recently vegetable markets, where I’ve become infatuated by the forms and lines of obscure produce. It is in the mundane that I find the most inspiration!”
It's this kind of curious consciousness, mixed with the delicate and deliberate placement of in-season flowers and the humble lemon peel, that for us (and we’re guessing you too) results in one sweeping romantic gesture: I can’t take my eyes off you.
“For this project, the focus was really about the shape of the vases. I was heavily inspired by their geometric nature. It informed which flowers I used and the way in which I arranged them,” says Molloy.
“For the Spikey Crystal Vase I focused on colour blocking, using bold hues, common to flowers such gladioli and burgundy lilies. I isolated these by variety for a modern touch. For the Buddy Crystal Vase, I elevated individual stems from local Victorian growers, such as foxglove, bearded iris, orchids and clematis, and a peeled lemon for a touch of zest. My practice strives to use common ingredients to create otherworldly installations,” says Molloy.
Our memories are strong when our emotions swell; think romance, think birthdays, think thank you, I love you, or get well soon, but flowers by their very nature have the ability to enhance any moment, and that is a celebration, “Flowers are an essential part of the everyday! Of course, flowers on a special occasion are wonderful too, but the humble single variety bunch breathes light and fragrance into the home,” says Molloy.
The sensory-tangibility of working with flowers is something we could all use, taking a leaf out of Molloy’s book to feed our curiosity through creation and play, but also, to feel, “Flowers have always given me a great deal of calm. Their lifecycle and connection to season reminds me of the undulating world around me, always in flux and always moving.”
This tenet is woven into the florist’s own life trajectory, “I have always believed in the importance of being dynamic, I think my practice has changed deeply from when I began. It is constantly evolving, allowing me to hold onto important aspects and shed others.”
While Hattie’s career is now shifting from events into homewares and creative direction, flowers as a feeling will always be the heart of it, “Flowers have brought me so much happiness, and I hope they can do the same for those experiencing my installations.”
