Speakers

• Bex Partridge, Botanical Tales

  Bex Partridge, Botanical Tales

  

  Bex Partridge, founder of Botanical Tales, is a floral artist working predominantly with dried flowers. Bex creates ethereal installations and art with flowers grown and dried herself. Her work is inspired by the natural world and seasonally led. She has written two books, Everlastings and Flowers Forever.
  
  @botanical_tales

• Lucy Vail, Lucy Vail Floristry

  Lucy Vail, Lucy Vail Floristry

  

  Lucy Vail Floristry is an award-winning luxury brand specialising in weddings, events and high-impact installations. Renowned for ‘bringing the outside in’ and bold use of colour, they can transform even the blankest of canvases into immersive botanical wonderlands.
  
  From March to October each year they use mainly British flowers, most of which come straight from Floriston Flower Farm in Suffolk, which is run by Lucy’s family. Their aim is to not only create the most imaginative floral designs, but to also educate clients on the importance of using seasonal blooms by showcasing the incredible variety of British-grown flowers and foliage through their own projects.
  
  @lucyvailfloristry

• Antony Burger, Mahal Kita Flowers

  Antony Burger, Mahal Kita Flowers

  

  Mahal Kita Flowers is a creative floral studio based in Margate, founded by Antony Burger. Mahal Kita simply means “I love you” in his mother’s native tongue.
  
  When his father was 30 years old, he visited an old friend in a small hospital in the middle of Wales. As he walked through the doors of the ward, he noticed a young nurse and he knew, without even having yet met her, that he would marry her one day. Two years later they married. She is Filipino and “Mahal Kita” was one of the first phrases his father learnt to speak in her language.
  
  Mahal Kita Flowers is a love note to Antony’s heritage, and to his parents. Every time he uses any flowers with the words and brand of Mahal Kita he is reflecting the love of his parents and how they celebrate life, each other and all the events of the year.
  
  @mahalkitaflowers

• Romy St Clair and Iona Mathieson, SAGE

  Romy St Clair and Iona Mathieson, SAGE

  

  Leaving restaurants and biology behind, SAGE was born to bring unique floral design to their community in Peckham and further afield.
  
  Bored by the local offering, SAGE is inspired by more unusual flowers, foliage and form, moving away from traditional arrangements and the rules of classic floristry. Iona and Romy are advocates for young female entrepreneurship, diversifying and decolonising floristry. The duo use their platform to progress these topics, often appearing on panels, radio and television.
  
  SAGE’s client list includes Prada, Miu Miu, BAPE, Nike, Fenty, Whitechapel Gallery, Saatchi Yates, Glossier, Supriya Lele, Saul Nash and many more.
  
  @sage.flowers

• Nari Yi, Yinari

  Nari Yi, Yinari

  

  Nari was born and grew up in the countryside in South Korea, where foraging and picking wildflowers with her mother and sisters were intrinsic to her upbringing. This tradition of bringing nature home continues to influence her work to this day, being inspired by nature, the wild form of overgrown bushes, intertwined roots and stems. She moved to London in 2013, and here she continues to hone her style, mixing in elements of Korean aesthetics into wild, seasonal, sculptural arrangements.
  
  @yinari__

• Shane Connolly

  Shane Connolly

  

  Shane Connolly & Company has been creating timeless, artisan, floral arrangements and decorations since 1989, and still get excited about the next event.
  
  Shane Connolly set up his eponymous company after training with some of London's leading flower designers. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Shane read Psychology at university but a lifelong passion for plants and gardening eventually led to a complete career change. Subsequently, he has built an enviable reputation as a floral designer with a small, dedicated and talented team of florists, artists and craftspeople working from offices and a large light-filled studio in North Kensington.
  
  The company is very proud to hold a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HM The King.