BloomTV’s Flowers and Friends live show is back for another fun-filled live stream! For those who haven’t heard, the Flowers and Friends live show is a weekly stream here on the BloomTV website where our amazing hosts sit down with special guests each week to discuss all things flowers– from florists, to artists, to even chefs, Flowers and Friends has it all. If you’ve missed the past streams and want to catch up or want to rewatch your favorite episode, all streams are still available here! Be sure to check them out and get caught up before next week’s episode– this Friday at 10AM PST!
Last week, our hosts Kara Jamison and Dionne Woods sat down with two experts who have been making big waves recently in the floral industry- Ace Berry and Robin Zachary. To get ready for next week’s episode, here’s a recap on all the details and interesting stories from our two fantastic experts!
Robin Zachary is an expert prop and fashion stylist, as well as the author of a brand new book! Styling Beyond Instagram: Take Your Prop Styling Skills from the Square to the Street features all of Robin’s best advice and tutorials on how to take your prop styling to the next level. Prop styling is a medium that, as Robin describes, flew largely under the radar for a long time. Before social media, the work that went into carefully curating the props and background for any photoshoot wasn’t as recognized. Robin mentions that a common misconception of prop styling is that all the arranging is done by the photographer, when in reality, it’s almost always a team effort! In Robin’s one-on-one classes, she often heard from her students that Instagram had made them realize that prop styling could be a viable career option! Her book was created in an effort to help give those aspiring stylists the resources and information they need to break into the industry.
View this book, and other flower powered-reads on our BloomTV Book Club page
In Robin’s eyes, flowers are essential for any prop arrangement, whether it’s a table setting, wedding photoshoot, or anything else! Creating these visual pieces is like “creating a little world,” as she puts it– and florals are an integral part of that. The presence of florals adds life, texture, and a far more rich sensory experience to any photograph. Robin also shares some specific tips from her book in the stream– so be sure to head over and watch here if you missed it!
The second guest is Ace Berry, professional florist and contestant on HBO’s Full Bloom! Ace began working with flowers in 2007, then discovered a passion for them when he realized how much joy they could bring. He says that even when folk were at their very worst, they’d always be happy to see him– as long as he arrived with flowers! This thread of bringing joy and connecting with people continues through all of Ace’s work. Whenever someone receives one of his arrangements for any of the various events he covers, he wants them to receive something unique and thought-out. In his own words, a piece of his heart goes into each arrangement.
For Ace, floral arrangement is both an art form and a business– and he always seeks to combine both of those worlds in his work. One of his favorite things about his work in the floral industry are the retreats he hosts for florists, both up and coming and seasoned. This desire to teach others how to follow their passions as floral artists has also brought him to BloomTV! His content features tutorials, tips, and his expert advice. There’s plenty more in store– even a look into what he calls “Beard Bangers,” his unique floral beard designs, planned for the future! Ace also has some fantastic words of advice and inspiration for anyone looking to break into the floral industry, or for anyone in need of a bit of encouragement– “Live boldly, live unapologetically.”
Flowers and Friends is live every Friday morning at 10AM PST– be sure to join us next week, and check out all the past streams on our website!
By Alex Moreton
