With the advent of sunny days in The Hague gardening enthusiasts rush to their gardens and flower watchers get on their bikes to admire the blossoming bulbs: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils. Planted in orderly strips when in bloom they form a luscious carpet of vivid colours.

 

It seems that the fashion world got caught up in the flower garden as well. Check this season’s fashions, floral patterns bloom on everything: tops, bottoms, accessories. And not for ladies only! Menswear collections display an impressive assortment of floral delights.

 

 

Talking about floral delights I have recently discovered the work of an extraordinary floral artist, Thierry Boutemy and fell under the spell. Thierry Boutemy is originally from France, Normandy, but decided to set up his business in Brussels. Less stressful than Paris, he says. And more charming. Without any intention Thierry became the fashion insiders’ florist. His rise to fame came through Sophia Coppola when she asked him to create floral decorations for her film Marie Antoinette. Thierry now regularly works with all the big names in business—Dior, Lanvin, Dries van Noten, Viktor & Rolf , Vogue.

 

 

Thierry is a poet and a philosopher and a dreamer, and it is clearly reflected in his work . “There’s something of Proust in his bouquets”, aptly noted La Tribune de Bruxelles, “the fleeting and the ephemeral”.

 

 

Every week he comes to Holland to the  market in Almelo to buy fresh flowers for his shop in Brussels. It is there at Avenue Louise, 404 that he weaves his magic. Hand-tied bouquets, elaborate installations, floral props for fashion shows or shoots.

 

 

 

“My bouquets are not structured, not perfect, even shambolic. …but if  I did something more contrived, I would be betraying myself, and the flowers…”

 

Next time I am in Brussels , I am definitely heading to the Fleuriste at Avenue Louise to marvel at the enchanting simplicity of Thierry’s floral creations and ponder the transience of beauty and a host of other philosophical questions.