Here’s some posies for your pockets.
McQueens Flowers — the British florist known for decking the halls of haute hotels and posh parties like New York Fashion Week, Wimbledon and Vanity Fair’s Oscar Party — has officially crossed the pond and opened a studio in NYC’s Flower District.
“We’ve got lovely clients, wonderful VIPs, who split their time between London and NYC, so we decided to dip our toes into the market,” said Emily Mathison, creative director of McQueens US.
Now, McQueens is flexing its flower power, bringing their brand of seasonal, English-style bouquets to the homes of NYC’s aristos.
The pitch is twofold: McQueens makes its arrangements from seasonal, locally sourced flowers and foliage, and offers fully bespoke, sky’s-the-limit services.
Here’s a sniff at what they do best.
Lily hammered
Picture this: your face made out of flowers. Back in 2011, McQueens created a 5-by-8-foot, Warhol-esque portrait of British singer Lily Allen using — what else? — 1,800 lilies.
It took six flower experts nine hours to arrange the Asiatic lily blooms ahead of Allen’s wedding. Soon after, the Queen of England got the flower treatment (top) at her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Flower portraits are still a big trend with spendy stem heads.
Want one for your next bash? That will set you back at least $10,000.
This bud’s for you
Here’s one way to say “I love you” … or “I f—ked up.” “It was Valentine’s Day and a client wanted to send something like 8,888 roses,” said Mathison. “The order was the size of a small car. It was absolutely massive, and it took 10 strong men to get it into a van and deliver it. We don’t say ‘no.’ ”
But roses (bottom) aren’t the only bud that they can do big. One client wanted to propose at Christmas under a massive chandelier of mistletoe. Another client tricked out her wedding with delphinium.
“She wanted a room where the ceiling was completely covered in beautiful, hanging delphinium,” Mathison added. “It was 10,000 stems, all individually wired. to create a 3D space before you go into the reception.”
Garden variety
Want something a little more unusual? No fear. McQueens will hunt to the ends of the earth for just the right flower.
A popular and pricey request? Peonies.
“They’re gorgeous. They smell amazing. They’re like scoops of ice cream. But the season that they’re at their best is only about six weeks,” said Mathison. “At other times of year they are so expensive, like $30 a stem.”
Still, some clients order them in bulk. They’re “the caviar of flowers,” Mathison said.
A rose-tinted vision
Abhor gardenias? Shudder at mauve? Fine.
“We have clients who say, ‘Everything has to be white’ or, ‘Nothing can be blue,’ ” said Mathison, adding that McQueens does in-depth consultations with their quirky clients.
“Flowers should make you happy,” Julie Conroy, McQueens US general manager said. “The last thing you want is somebody seeing a vase of flowers and saying, ‘Oh my god.’”