Flowers are not just for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or weddings- the creativity and passion of certain florists has elevated floral design to an art form.
Flowers can also be a fantastically original fashion accessory, with floral headpieces and corsages playing a major role in the look of this year’s Perth Fashion Festival (PFF).
‘The relationship between fashion and flowers is important and in my view, inevitable,’ explains floral designer, Marko Seperic.
‘They complement each other and I think the combination of both can create beautiful stories.’
Marko has worked closely with PFF to create ‘Whimsical Romantic’ pieces in keeping with this year’s theme, using pastel colours and plump roses. His work has appeared on billboards, models and the official PFF guide.
‘I think the look is very interesting this year, especially for me as a florist and an artist, because it allows me to use very visceral and natural looks and shapes,’ Marko explained.
He will also be designing, creating and constructing 81 contemporary pieces which will adorn the tables of the Mercedes Benz WA Fashion Awards, held on the final day of the festival.
‘I’m going to change the work for the closing night to represent a different theme and the pieces I’m creating are more like individual pieces of art.’
For Marko, design, floristry and fine art are inextricably linked. While he earned a degree in floral design in his native Croatia, he is also an avid painter.
‘When I lived in Dublin I painted full time in my studio there and I see my floral work as an extension of ideas, concepts and thoughts that I put on canvas,’ he said.
‘It is natural for me to hop between the two. I guess that flowers are like nature’s paint and while the result lasts for but a short time, they can in the right hands, be turned into interesting and expressive works.
‘I really hope to combine the two some day and open an art gallery here in Perth that deals with high design in a floral sense as well as in combination with my painting.’
For now Marko works on high-end projects, weddings and the occasional commission piece with Bee Happy Flowers in East Perth.
With the right florist, flowers can make for an eye-catching and original gift, but how much is too much to spend on a piece of art that may not see next month?
‘I think how much you spend is up to the individual but obviously if you are spending a lot, like for a wedding, make sure you are really getting your money’s worth,’ suggests Marko.
‘It’s easy to be ripped off but you can spend very little if the florist knows what they are doing.’
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