This time last year we debuted our international Fleurs de Villes FEMMES series, which honoured remarkable women through history. We travelled to 10 cities and showcased more than 140 different women. From modern-day pop stars to ancient goddesses, local florists in each city created incredible floral tributes to these inspiring women, while we shared their unique stories.
Today we look back at some of the FEMMES awarded 'Best in Show' and 'Fan Favourite' from each of the cities, as well as some staff favourites. Congratulations to the winning fleuristes once again for their important and stunning creations. Enjoy!
Bal Harbour: Grace Kelly by The Soiree Aesthetic Florals
“To have complete satisfaction with flowers, you must have time to spend with them. I talk to flowers and they talk to me.”
Grace Kelly, American actress and Princess of Monaco, 1929-1982
One of the greatest female stars of classical Hollywood cinema, Grace Kelly appeared in 60 television shows and 11 films, including, most famously, a trio of Alfred Hitchcock movies, including Dial M for Murder, in which she was cast as an “icy blonde.” She wore this dress, an Edith Head design, while portraying yet another ice queen in Alfred Hitchock’s To Catch a Thief. At a photoshoot at the Cannes Film Festival, Kelly happened to meet Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and less than a year later, at age 26, they would marry.
Read more here.
Chicago: Empress Xiaozhuangwen by Hedonia Flowers
Empress Xiaozhuangwen of China, 1613-1688
Empress Xiaozhuangwen, born “Bumbutai,” was the Mongolian mother of the first Emperor of the Qing Empire. She had significant influence in the imperial court and was respected as an insightful and politically stabilizing figure during the difficult Con Manchu rule. Remembered for her wisdom and insight, she is a popular cultural figure in China, and the subject of many Chinese TV dramas and the historical novel Green Phoenix. The daughter of a Mongolian prince, Bumbutai was a descendent of Genghis Khan. She became a concubine at age 12 and had three daughters and a son with Emperor Hong Taiji, becoming one of his five wives alongside her sister.
Read more here.
Chicago: Michelle Obama by Camellía
“Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses... swapped back and forth and over again.”
Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, Attorney and Activist, 1964-present
Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Michelle Obama is the first Black American first lady in history. She was also known for her sense of style and support of young fashion designers such as Jason Wu, who designed the dresses that she wore for President Obama’s inaugurations in 2009 and 2013. Born to a city-pump operator father and a stay-at-home mother, both Obama and her older brother learned to read at age four, and both skipped second grade. Following her brother’s footsteps, she was educated at Princeton, and then went on to Harvard School of Law. She practiced law briefly at Chicago firm Sidley Austin where she met Barack Obama, a summer associate whom she supervised.
Read more here.
Southern California: Helena Modjeska by L'Amour Floral Weddings
“Whether it is the beautiful that brings to our hearts the love of truth and justice, or whether it is the truth that teaches us how to find the beautiful in nature and how to love it, in either case art does a noble work.”
Helena Modjeska, Polish-American actress, 1840-1909
Helena Modjeska was Poland’s greatest actress, and one of the most interesting and talented of her generation. She was a much-loved pioneer resident of Orange County, California from 1888 until her death in Newport Beach in 1909. The north peak of Saddleback Mountain is named Modjeska Peak and the portion of Santiago Canyon in which she and her husband lived is now called Modjeska Canyon. Modjeska played 260 roles over her career, 95 of them Shakespeare. The illegitimate daughter of a widowed musician, Modjeska’s father was never determined, however he was rumoured to have been a Duke.
Read more here.
Toronto: Laura Secord by Floral Fashion by Karen Kurtz
Laura Secord, Canadian war heroine, 1775-1868
Before her name became synonymous with chocolate in Canada, Laura Secord was an unsung heroine of the 1812 war who ran 32 kilometres through the Niagara bush to carry vital information to a British Lieutenant. Because of her daring act, and with the assistance of the Kahnawake Mohawks, he escaped capture and forced the surrender of 600 American troupes in what was called the Battle of Beaver Dams. She was 83 years old before she received recognition for her heroism.
Read more here.
Montréal: Coco Chanel by Kyoto Fleurs
“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.”
Gabrielle Bonheur (Coco) Chanel, French Fashion designer, 1883-1971
Famous for pioneering a chic, sporty, androgenous look for women modelled on the clothes of French fishermen and British equestrians, her fashion house, Chanel, continues to be one of the top in the world. She famously mixed pearls with tweed, and Breton stripes with chiffon and silk, creating an unmistakable aesthetic that celebrated women’s liberation from the era of the corset. Chanel never went to school, but learned to sew at the orphanage where she grew up, after her mother, a laundress, passed away.
Read more here.
Vancouver: Shania Twain by GG Flowers on Main
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
Shania Twain, Canadian singer-songwriter, 1965-present
Country-pop star Shania Twain has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-selling musicians of all time. She became an international star following the release of her 1997 album Come On Over, the best-selling country album in history. Women everywhere have been inspired and empowered by her energetic anthems “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much”. In 1999, the romantic ballad “You're Still the One” earned Twain two Grammys, one for Best Country Song and another for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Her 2004 greatest hits album went quadruple platinum. Twain’s lyrics often contain themes of lifting yourself up, reinventing yourself, and taking control of your life, something she has had to do personally several times.
Read more here.
Edinburgh: Frida Kahlo by Simpson's Florist
“I paint flowers so they will not die.”
Frida Kahlo, Mexican-German painter, 1907-1954
Possibly the most well-known female painter of modern times, Kahlo is famous for her ground-breaking self-portraits that explored her own life and death. Her celebration of unconventional beauty (for example, her unibrow) was ultra-progressive for the time, and she took to wearing traditional embroidered Tijuana-style Mexican dresses and elaborate hairstyles. Her short but impactful life was marked by contracting polio at age six (her voluminous skirts hid her misshapen leg) and a devastating bus accident at 18 that left her hospitalized or bedridden for many years with more than 30 surgeries. Kahlo studied science in University with the intention to enter medicine, but taught herself to paint while she was convalescing from the bus accident.
Read more here.
Sydney: Carla Zampatti by Hayfever Flowers
“They identified with what I was doing because I was wearing what I was doing. I was one of them.”
Carla Zampatti, fashion designer, 1942-1921
Italian-born Zampatti migrated to Australia in 1950 and set up her eponymous fashion label in her early 20s. Known for her incredible work ethic, she was active in the women’s liberation movement of the ’60s and by the 1970s she was expanding her own line of retail boutiques across Australia and New Zealand. She was known for her sharp tailoring, and keen understanding of a new era of women who both worked and had a social life. Her designs have been worn by some of Australia’s most powerful women, including former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and actor Nicole Kidman. Elegant and trailblazing, Zampatti’s designs were much like her.
Read more here.
Québec: Celine Dion by Fierbourg, Centre de Formation Professionnel
“It’s the moment that you think you can’t, that you can.”
Céline Dion, 1968 to present
Céline Dion is a Quebecoise singer who is the most beloved female vocalist of all time. Her most famous song, “My Heart Will Go On” from The Titanic was recorded in a single take. It became the bestselling soundtrack in history, with 30 million copies sold worldwide, and earning her a Grammy and an Academy Award before her 24th birthday. Dion and her late husband René Angélil invented the idea of the “residency” in Las Vegas, where she performed for 12 years, earning US$700 million, which made her one of a very few female artist billionaires in the world. She continues to tour, has become a fashion icon in her 50s, and recently launched a gender-neutral clothing line for children. She is known for her incredible work ethic and drive and The Wall Street Journal has called her “a once in a generation voice.”
New York: Jennifer Lopez by Villanueva Designs
“Always follow your heart. Sometimes it's gonna hurt—but you're going to be fine.”
Jennifer Lopez, American singer, dancer and actress, 1969-present.
The ultimate triple threat, Jennifer Lopez, also known as J.Lo, started her career as a dancer, and has since become an accomplished actress and pop singer as well. Born in the Bronx, her “Jenny from the Block” song has inspired countless young minority women to strive for their wildest dreams, no matter how humble their beginnings. Inspired by Rita Moreno from 1961s West Side Story, Lopez started dancing and singing lessons at age five. She credits her Puerto Rican parents for fostering her confidence and trademark body positivity. Lopez was an accomplished athlete at her Catholic girls school, participating in track and field and tennis. She left home at 18, took a clerical job at a law firm, and did dancing jobs at night.
Read more here.
.svg)
