You can’t have missed it! Since early spring last year our cafe has been brightened up with all kinds of florals.
It was during the darkest winter months, after many months of lockdown that we decided that we needed more light and colour in our space. Through friends of friends we found the lovely Ari, the creative force behind Rae Blooms, who has been working her magic on the cafe for a while now.
We sat down with Ari for our first edition of the Uncommon Collective, a series of short interviews with some of the inspiring people we are lucky enough to collaborate with.
How did Rae come to life?
Rae has always been in the making for me. I've been a florist for nearly a decade and have always dreamed of having my own business. I'm completely and utterly flower obsessed and have never really seen myself doing anything else. It did however take me a little while to find the perfect place to get it officially started. I have moved around a little over the last few years and feel so happy to call Amsterdam Rae's home.
What do you love most about what you do?
The flowers. I honestly can't get over the fact that everyday I get to play around with an ever changing pallet of blooms. I'm the luckiest person ever.
What influences your creativity?
Influences come from everywhere. I believe it's all fluid, just walking around in nature, admiring other art forms and also of course there are so many other incredible florists here in the Netherlands and globally that constantly inspire me and push my creativity further. It's nice to get inspired by all kinds of things. I love that you can take inspiration from a painting of the ocean. Maybe the artist has used a range of blues that makes me feel calm and safe. Then at the market the next morning I'll find myself hunting for all things green and blue. It's all one big blend and where it comes from can often surprise me.
How are you working towards more sustainable practices and what are the challenges?
Sustainability is certainly a challenge in this industry but change is happening and growing! It is an essential and valuable part of every choice I make at Rae and so I am consciously keeping mother nature in mind from little to big decisions. As a studio I choose to make flowers to order only to limit my leftover floral and water wastage. I don't use any plastics in my work and always choose the eco-friendly options when making larger installs. I have great relationships with flower suppliers who are also constantly taking more and more steps to becoming completely sustainable. This means collaborating with farmers that do not use any pesticides, they make conscious decisions around energy, materials and wastage as well. We as an industry have a lot to work on, especially when we rely on the fruitfulness of what this planet has to offer.
What inspired you for our latest flower installation?
Definitely a simplified version of spring, exemplifying the flow of seasons! It was important for me to pay attention to the feel and fit of the space and I really wanted it to have movement. The Gyp flower is a true classic and most people have seen them before, but with all my work I wanted to give it a little twist. To make it Uncommon.
Find out more about Rae Blooms and Ari's flower delivery service, workshops and event services on www.raeblooms.com or her instagram @rae_blooms.
