Philippa Craddock is one of London's leading florists and is well known for her delicate and natural approach to floristry.
She was the florist behind the beautiful creations at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding and has clients which include Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen and Hermes.
We travelled to London to attend an exclusive talk hosted at the Victoria and Albert Museum where Philippa discussed her career and collaborations to date, as well as her approach to the art of floristry.
Our evening began being welcomed into the V&A after hours through a private side entrance. We are avid admirers of this beautiful London museum and often make use of our membership at any chance we can.
Philippa Craddock was in conversation with Gile Kime, the Interiors Editor at Country Life magazine, which offered a relaxed and informal chat about her career.
A self-taught florist, Philippa found her love of floristry when she had set up her own wedding plant gift company and was frequently being asked to create bridal bouquets. Despite having little experience in floristry, she immersed herself in the craft and instantly fell in love with the creative trade.
Throughout the evening we were in awe of the beautiful backdrop which showcased some of Philippa's most loved and infamous floral installations, from a collaboration with the V&A for their Freida Khola exhibition through to commissions from brands such as Fortnum & Mason and Hermes.
It was warming to hear Philippa talk of her love for flowers and appreciation for their nature beauty. With a distinctive way of working with flowers, her designs are well recognised and she has honed in on her ability to work with blooms in a natural way to create designs which look like they were meant to be there and always had been.
Philippa shared her thoughts on which direction floristry was moving towards;
"I think British grown flowers and foliages are going to continue to grow and become more important within the floristry trade than ever."
We work in an ever evolving industry and it was rewarding to be so inspired on a Monday evening and come away with some new techniques and inspiring ideas.