Listening to the Language of Flowers With Hattie Molloy
Listening to the Language of Flowers With Hattie Molloy
Appreciating the Bright, Bold Inspiration of Botanical Sculptures
Photography by James Tolich
Name:
Hattie Molloy
Photography:
Courtasy of Hattie Molloy
Words:
Marissa Stempien
There’s something about flowers that speak to Hattie Molloy. The florist, sculptor, stylist, designer, and artist, sees blooms in a wholly unconventionally way, creating installations and sculptural creations that become unique and unexpected botanical masterpieces. Drawing inspiration from the past she makes ‘90s flowers (remember those big blossom hats?) cool again. Changing our perspective on what’s trending, she puts her spin on floral architecture with pieces that incorporate fruits, vegetables, seasonal flowers, and other botanical elements.
Hattie’s work feels nostalgic and fresh all at the same time as she brings her eccentric designs to events, weddings, and parties with a signatures style that’s entirely her own. With an ever-evolving aesthetic, her work is constantly changing with the season and materials she’s creating with. Big, bold, and bright, her pieces speak for themselves, drawing your eye into a colorful botanical sculpture that’s unlike anything seen before. Here, she talks about her inspiration, her process, and how the beauty of the flowers lend to her creativity.
Visual Pleasure Magazine: What inspired you to start working with flowers as a medium? Did this start as a passion for floral or sculptural work?
Hattie Molloy: My grandmother looked after me as a child most days after school and I would always be in her garden making posies of violets. I was obsessed as a child with flowers, always jumping into gardens and stealing flowers. Flowers are what I naturally gravitated towards and then I have found an interest in sculpture by creating interesting and captivating shapes with botanical elements.
Your work is bright, colorful, and bold, a break away from the trend of minimalism. What inspires your creations?
For my larger-scale installations, I do like to look at gardens and the shapes created in landscapes. For example, I love topiary at the moment and am finding inspiration from the shapes and scale they create in gardens.
For arrangements, it's very much dictated by what's in season. I also like to go to farmers markets to find interesting fruit and vegetables to incorporate.
What made you choose this eccentric, throwback aesthetic? Is there a story or feeling you are trying to convey through your work?
We always look back and take inspiration from the past. I like the challenge of making an “uncool” flower (like the gerbera) popular again. Or changing people's perception of something. Why do some flowers have such a negative connotation attached to it? Who said that lilies are hospital flowers? Why can't we change the context we perceive them in?
As a blend of floristry, sculpture, and installation art your work draws from several different disciplines. Is there one that draws you more than another? Do you try to maintain a balance between them?
I love having diversity in my work. I think it keeps me fresh and adaptable. I've been really drawn to photography and styling at the present. And would like to do more set design in the future.
I see myself taking a step back from “floristry” to focus more on styling, set design, and installations, as well as designing clothing and lifestyle products that I sell on my online store. I really like to have my fingers in as many pies as possible.
What kind of work goes into one design? Do you sketch out the final look beforehand or let the shape and structure of each flower influence the final design?
If I'm working with a client I will send sketches or reference images. Generally, clients do give me a lot of creative freedom and trust.
When I'm working on an arrangement for myself to photograph it's usually very intuitive and I will use flowers and produce that I'm drawn to and that’s seasonal. There isn't some grand plan before I create, I just start and see what happens. That's how I evolve my practice because you have total freedom to come up with whatever you like.
When planning arrangements for weddings or events are you often looking to create the client’s idealized creation or give them something entirely your own?
I always try to make every event different. I never want to replicate something that I have done before. The client gives me guidance as to what they would like but then gives me the freedom to evolve the concept into something new. But I have worked very hard to create my own style and lane where the client has trust, and that takes time to build.
Do you find that because your designs and even the flowers you use are so unique you have clients that are looking for something that speaks to them or their individuality?
I attract the kind of client that wants something different. Not just pretty flowers but flowers that are otherworldly. That you look at and think—“wow did nature really create that?”
How do you feel that you have put your signature on your work?
I try very hard to always push the boundaries, develop, and evolve. I think sometimes in creative industries we get caught up seeing what everyone else is doing. I try to have my blinders on and just focus on my work. I go with my gut instinct and produce work that I love not what is dictated by trends.
What are some of your favorite things about your artistry? What are some of the hardest?
My favorite thing is that flowers bring me such joy and I'm truly my happiest when I'm creating. The hardest thing is forming a business around your true passion and to keep that passion alive. Because when you turn your passion into a job you need to figure out a balance. That's why I've always made it a priority to have personal projects that I work on myself which feed my soul.
