As you enter the light-filled warehouse area on Dowling Street, Sydney, native flowers and hanging fronds coexist with roses, peonies, chrysanthemums, and orchids at Hermetica Flowers, Founded by Jai Winnell. Hermeica doesn't do 'shy' bouquets, they go overboard and over-the-top upon first encounter with flowers. In this week's florist special you'll be able to know more about his wondrous creations and how Jai is one of Sydney's most prestigious floral designers.
Jai Winnell of Hermetica Flowers and His Out-Of-The-Ordinary Designs
Jai is one of Sydney's top experimental florists specializing in spectacular, one-of-a-kind botanical compositions and events since 2013. Hermetica was a tiny flower shop in Darlinghurst ten years ago, and over time, Jai Winnell has turned it into a bustling warehouse with a team that works beyond measure to create some of the city's most dazzling floral designs.
Based at their flagship warehouse-style studio in Woolloomooloo, Jai is very well known for his audacious, cutting-edge approach to floral production and design. With its distinctive wrapping style, personalized message hand-written in calligraphy, and Polaroid-style memento, the company provides a gifting experience like no other. The entire team behind the floral designs at Hermetica carefully and dedicatedly works on each customer order using only the finest botanicals and techniques.
When it comes to his work, Jai shares:
"It’s a lot to manage. Particularly because everything we do is so time-sensitive. People need everything at an exact moment in time. And there are no do-overs with weddings and events – it has to be perfect. So there is stress, but that is my job. I take it on with everything I do. That’s how we end up with a perfect result every time."
Winnell's Background and Story
Winnell was raised surrounded by flowers and farms. His parents owned a florist business in Byron Bay, and he later spent a crucial seven years learning the work of making elaborate floral arrangements (something that was uncommon in Australia at the time) in London. It was also there that he launched a side gig producing terrariums — small cacti arranged in mason jars — which he sold at markets in London.
He called the side project 'Hermetica', a play on the term 'hermetic seal', and he stuck with it when he returned to Australia in 2013 to launch a small store in Darlinghurst. After five years, the company gained enough traction to move to a lofty warehouse on Woolloomooloo's Dowling Street.
He shares:
"For me, Hermeica Flowers is a place of freshness. That’s the meaning for me.”
Thinking Outside the Box as the Main Advantage
Winnell wields that outside-the-box thinking to his advantage. Because of this extra touch and love he puts into the floral designs offered at Hermetica, he has worked and done floral styling for several of Sydney's most prestigious hospitality and luxury brands, such as Gucci, Prada, Tequila Patron, Louis Vuitton, Paspaley Pearls, American Express, Vogue Australia, Solotel, Moet and Chandon, Merivale, among many others.
Jai and the team offer full floral services for events large and small, including corporate events, milestones, and weddings. All their event quotes are fully customized for each client and their specific needs, making his work extra special. There's nothing like making your customers your best friends when it comes to designing their dream florals while having an A1 communication to achieve the final result. At Hermetica Flowers they work with brands large and small to embellish and express different facets of their character through floral activations and event floral design.
To know more about his work and floral designs sold online, visit Hermetica Flowers' website and Instagram.
