Celebrity floral designers are frequent collaborators with floral delivery services, local florists, subscription floral boxes, and the like. Recently, a few have started to expand their scope of collaboration slightly by pairing with non-floral-specialist brands or retailers, sometimes even extending into categories beyond flowers, albeit mostly still with a close connection to their core area of expertise:
- Jeff Leatham’s most recent collaboration with Williams Sonoma was announced last month, focusing on a collection of lifelike-but-fake flowers, including long-stem bouquets and floral arrangements. The two partners had previously collaborated on a line of holiday wreathes and garlands in 2021. Also in 2021, Leatham partnered with his friend Kim Kardashian for a fragrance collection from Kardashian’s KKW Beauty brand. It included three scents packaged in bottles that could later be used as vases. A second collection was released in 2022. Leatham’s latest book is The Art of the Flower.
- Christopher Griffin, a Brooklyn-based influencer known as the Plant Kween, paired with West Elm in 2022 for a 12-piece capsule of gardening tools, including planters (with and without plants), propagation systems, gardening gloves, and garden scissors. This was followed by a partnership with 1-800-Flowers in February of this year for a curated, limited-time collection of 15 green houseplants and orchids, as well as an on-demand virtual workshop focused on succulent gardening. Griffin has been represented by CAA since 2020 and has been involved in promotional relationships with Kimpton Hotels, Mrs. Meyers, Saks Off Fifth, Crocs, Lowe’s, KitchenAid, and many more. Griffin, who is known as an advocate for queer and trans people of color, has also written a book called You Grow Girl! Plant Kween’s Guide to Growing Your Garden.
- Harijanto Setiawan, Singapore-based floral designer and founder of Boenga Flowers, collaborated with department store Takashimaya Singapore this year in a partnership timed to the store’s 30th anniversary and Setiawan’s release of his book, Haribana. The book takes its name from the designer’s signature style, described as an architectural form of Japanese ikebana, which he introduced in 2020. The Takashimaya x Haribana Floral Extravagance Show featured a limited-edition collection of hand-blown vases designed by Setiawan and made in Japan, in addition to floral décor created by Setiawan, an exhibition by 35 floral designers, a floral design competition, demonstrations, workshops, and a marketplace.
- Brrch Floral, the brand launched by floral designer Brittany Asch, paired in 2022 with intimates brand Parade for a size-inclusive (XS to 3XL) lingerie collection called Winterbloom. Products included bodysuits, briefs, bralettes, and other pieces. Many of them, not surprisingly, featured floral prints. Brrch Floral was founded in New York City and is now based in Los Angeles.
There have been a few other examples beyond those mentioned here over the years; in 2001, for example, Kathy Ireland partnered with floral designer Nicholas Walker to develop Jardin, a garden and home brand that was licensed for everything from home décor to scarves. Still, the expansion of noted floral designers into other categories is still an emerging phenomenon. It bears watching, however. Celebrities in this field are relatively few, but they have loyal fan followings and their expertise is a good fit for a variety of home and garden categories, and beyond.
Conversely, it should be noted that the floral category, including fresh-cut flowers, houseplants, and faux flowers, has been of growing interest for brand extensions tied to properties of all types, from fashion designers to museums to TV series and films.
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