Chained Bloom is not a bouquet in the usual sense. Instead of stems gathered at a waist, the flowers are wired individually along lengths of silver chain, which the wearer carries from the top so the whole piece hangs and swings. It is closer to jewellery than to floristry, and it was designed to be photographed as much as held.
Calla lily sets the shape. A dozen or more are threaded through the chain, each one cream at the base and deepening to raspberry at the tip, their furled cones pointing in every direction. The calla traces back to southern Africa and has always read as sculptural and faintly architectural, which is why it survives being isolated like this: a single bloom on a chain still looks composed.
Vanda orchid supplies the pattern. Speckled cream and rose, each flower is set with small crystals at the petal edges so the piece catches light from the flowers as well as the metal. White stock clusters in ruffled bunches at the right, bringing the only softness and the only real scent, sweet and clove-like. Stem ends are wrapped in silver foil rather than hidden, which keeps the construction visible on purpose.
This is a piece for weddings that are not traditional, for editorial and campaign work, and for events where the flowers are meant to be part of what someone is wearing. It is best ordered with a clear idea of how it will be carried, and it photographs far better in motion than at rest.
Because the flowers are wired rather than standing in water, this is made close to the time it is needed and is intended for a single occasion. Kept cool and out of direct sun before the event, it holds well through a full day of wear. Calla lily bruises where it is handled, so it is best carried by the chain rather than the blooms. It is made to order, and the length, weight and balance are all worth discussing when the piece is commissioned.
