Silk Flowers, A Love Story

Do you hear the words “silk flowers” and cringe? If that’s you, no judgement! That was me for a while too. Why use fake flowers when you can use the real thing? Well, I’ll tell you why I started to use them, it was actually out of necessity - not desire. What it’s turned into is an effective way to design installations that last, are reusable and have a huge impact for our clients.

In New England weather is always something we have to contend with. We have a short season here on Nantucket, many brands / small businesses want to invest in a floral installation that will last for the duration of the summer months. That’s how we started to incorporate silks into our designs.

Sourcing quality silks is key. We use AFLORAL often, but I’m always on the lookout through my travels, when I’m strolling the aisles of Michaels or even Target. Over time I’ve acquired an inventory of these items that I’m able to use (and reuse) in various designs. I have some silk flowers that have seen four different installations in a two year span. Talk about bang for your buck!

I approach designing with silks the same way I do with real flowers. One of the nice things about silks is they’re wire based so you can literally bend them to your will, whereas in nature you work with the natural shape and curve of the flower. I always make sure to to have an combination of heady flowers (roses, peonies, dahlia etc.), leafy greens, flowers that have some kind of movement (or tiny dancers as I like to call them) and a few dramatic, impactful blooms that draw your eye.

With each install I do with silk flowers I learn something new, but I’m happy to report they will forever be in the Hafsa and Co. toolbox!

xo H