Thierry Boutemy spends most of the year jet-setting from one glamorous affair to another, such as the Belvedere Garden soiree at the Palazzo Borromeo D’Adda during Milan Design Week.
He's at his happiest when surrounded by the wild beauty of nature, but florist Thierry Boutemy spends most of the year jet-setting from one glamorous affair to another. Such was the Belvedere Garden soiree at the Palazzo Borromeo D'Adda during Milan Design Week this past spring, for which he designed an archway made out of rye, the star ingredient of the brand's vodka. It was exquisite, but over a decade since achieving star status in his field, the humble creative is still not entirely comfortable with such high praise.
Some refer to Boutemy as an artist, but he prefers the less complicated title of florist. Growing up in rural Normandy, it was all he ever wanted to be. "When I was little, I was a loner and the flowers gave me some sort of a protection," says the soft-spoken 49-year-old.
He went on to study landscape design in Paris, but found the program too restrictive. He took his expressive arrangements to Brussels where he opened the simply named Fleuriste shop. "For a long time, I lost money," he says. "It's difficult to sell your passion without selling your soul."
It turned out, all Boutemy needed was the right collaborator. His big break came when Sofia Coppola enlisted him to design arrangements for her 2006 film Marie Antoinette. Since then, he's become the fashion industry's favourite florist, with arrangements gracing the runways of Dries Van Noten and Lanvin, a collaboration on a collection with Opening Ceremony and working with photographer Mario Testino on a Lady Gaga editorial for Vogue. Oh, and there was that other little event referred to as the Kimye wedding.
"Maybe one day I'll return to my shop and stay quiet," Boutemy says. In the meantime, he hopes to do another film. "It feels like leaving a legacy." Not surprisingly, his favourite flower, myosotis, is also known as Forget Me Not.
For more information, visit www.belvederevodka.com.
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