As previously mentioned, American Express are supporting the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A. And to celebrate their long-standing relationship with the brand they’ve launched a nationwide search to uncover up-and-coming creatives whose work reflects the rebellious, innovative spirit of McQueen. They invited me to nominate someone, and I instantly thought of florist Nik Southern from Grace and Thorn.

Nik opened Grace and Thorn in 2011, after quitting her job in recruitment and retraining as a florist. Her floral arrangements are wild, romantic and the polar opposite of the bouquets you find up and down the high street; so I felt her vision sat nicely with Alexander McQueen’s work, as nature inspired many of his most famous collections.

I visited Grace and Thorn’s Hackney Road shop, where Nik kindly showed me how to make a wild bouquet. We used McQueen’s SS07 Sarabande collection as a reference point, and focused on dusky pinks and rich purple hues, which were seen in the finale’s iconic floral gown. Keep reading on for Nik’s simple tips, and to find out how you can get involved and nominate a creative talent too…

How to Make a Wild Bouquet Arrangement – Nik’s Top Tips:

1. Stick to a complimentary colour scheme when selecting your flowers. Pick your main flowers first, such as roses and hydrangeas, followed by your foliage and then your filler flowers, like astrantia or wax flower. And don’t overlook lesser known flowers.

2. Strip all flowers and foliage, removing leaves from under the head. Leaves will poison the water and kill the flowers.

3. Cut the stems at an angle so they have maximum surface area to suck up the water. Change the water every other day to prolong the life of your bouquet.

4. Use as much variety and texture as possible while layering your flowers to create interest and depth. A single rose or hydrangea makes a nice centre point to work around.

5. Don’t be afraid to be bold with your layering. Angling your flowers and foliage at different heights helps to create a more wild and offbeat arrangement.

How to Get Involved…

Nik’s creative approach to floristry reminds me of Alexander McQueen’s work, but now I’m opening up the floor and want you to nominate inspiring creatives who embody the trailblazing spirit of McQueen. So please get involved in the crowdsourcing campaign by tweeting me at @cocosteaparty using the hashtag #Trailblazer with your nominations. They can work in any creative industry – photography, fashion, music, floristry, film, art… you name it!

All nominations need to be in by April 1st and and your best suggestions – alongside those of other bloggers – will be collated into a list of trailblazing talent to watch out for (I’ll publish this next month, so keep an eye out). It’s a great chance to shine the spotlight on one of your talented friends, so get those nominations in.

Are you already a fan of Grace and Thorn? And will you be putting Nik’s top tips to the test? Leave a comment and let me know…

* This post was created in collaboration with American Express *

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