The featured stars on this week's florist special are a very unique duo of powerful and talented women who live in Kenya and through their work and designs with flowers have managed to create an impact on society. Creators of their own business 'Flowers Naturally', they're here to show you what inspired them to start in the flower world and how the flower world has shaped both of them.
Kenya-Based Floral Designers Rupal Chandaria and Arti Doshi Share Their Story
Rupal Chandaria, a qualified optometrist, and Arti Doshi, a qualified accountant born and raised in Kenya but of Indian descent, have been designing floral works of art for many years. Enthusiastic about what they do, and having won many National and International awards, they decided to utilize their skills and share the beauty of their creations. This led to the birth of Flowers, Naturally…Beyond Ordinary – a true passion project they started in 2019, based on the love they have for flowers and the ingenuity they have for creating masterful pieces of art.
Unfortunately, when COVID hit, they were unsure how this business would take off since they were still not established. However, to their surprise, this actually worked in their favor as people wanted to send their loved ones far and abroad flowers to show that although travel was restricted, they were being thought of. This time also allowed them to experiment with new techniques and ideas where they were able to create unusual jewelry pieces.
Wearing fresh flowers to accessorize an outfit has become the new fashion trend, seen around many runways and garments around the world in recent fashion shows. Rupal and Arti were quick to get onto the bandwagon and have continuously created unique pieces that come from the source of their creativity and inspiration around the natural world that surrounds them. From earrings, corsages, hair pieces, boutonnieres, and full bridal sets, they can make any type of jewelry and of course, include flowers in them which makes their pieces even more beautiful.
Creatively Designing Out of the Ordinary Pieces With Flowers
From what both floral designers have seen around in 2023, they can say with certainty that now more than ever, flowers make a part of everything, including clothing and accessories such as hats, corsages, and even boutonnieres. Both artists work together by delicately placing a flower that embodies delicacy and adds contrasting colors around it. On the other hand, boutonnieres have always been traditionally worn to Indian Weddings. However, now to stand out in a crowd, they are made of unconventional flowers and materials. Nowadays they also make floral outfits from dry and preserved flowers, making every garment fashionably floral.
Not only do they embellish pieces with flowers but also love making designs flourish with green tones. With families now living in apartments, and not much access to gardens and green spaces, green walls have become a popular choice for art pieces. They don’t use artificial or plastic material, everything is dried or preserved. According to Rupal and Arti, arrangements made with preserved flowers have become a popular choice for gifting as these can last a few years as a showpiece in the house.
Facing Certain Adversities Only Makes Their Floral Work Stronger
Living in Kenya, the global flower hub, one would never expect the quality of flowers a problem, however, they experienced some challenges in getting the right flowers. To date, it is still a challenge to obtain good quality export flowers and varieties of certain flowers. Rupal and Arti are hopeful that this market will open up for local artists in the near future.
To follow more of their adventures and floral creations make sure to visit Flowers Naturally's Instagram account.
Photos by flowers.naturally
