What Would They Know? Jordana Simpson of Wilder

We love beautiful flowers and foliage, and at this time of the year with the vibrant autumn colours and the crisp air, we rejoice in the changes the season brings to the parks and gardens in our neighbourhood. So going to the flower markets and seeing what the change of seasons brings – from the soft peonies of Summer, to the more rustic seed pods and branches of Autumn and Winter must get the creative juices flowing. Today we meet Jordana of Wilder who does just that, and creates botanical arrangements using what ever she finds to inspire her – always with the ‘wow’ factor – a sure conversation starter!

Please describe your background and how your passion for botanicals came about ?

I come from a long line of women who love to garden. Whilst I didn’t always share their passions I always loved seeing the joy that their gardens brought them and others. I guess you could say my love grew quite organically. I was designing menswear when I started playing in the garden more and arranging for fun. The love grew and the demand grew so I made the transition two years ago and started WILDER.

Image by Jordana Simpson of Wilder

What advantages do you bring to your botanical arrangements with your fashion designer background?

There are many similiarities between fashion and floristry. The principles of design guide both practices and an instinctual understanding of these made the transition for me quite smooth. Just like fashion colour, shape and texture play an integral part of floral design. Seasons are like trends and like in every industry trends come and go in floristry so its great to know how to read and respond to the emergence of a trend.

How would you describe your floral aesthetic?

I would call Wilder’s style free forming and expressive. We are always thinking about what gives each design a point of interest or difference. Obviously the flowers are the fundamental focal but we also focus a lot of attention on contrast, colour, shape and texture in our design.

How do you express that in your botanical arrangements?

We do this by custom designing each piece to meet our brief, always aiming for a point of interest.

Image by Elise Hassey

What are some of the more unusual elements you include in your arrangements?

We often use new and interesting elements in our arrangements to add interest and texture. These can be anything from fruit, feather, dried material, succulents and cacti.

Is using unusual ‘containments’ e.g. frames, for your arrangements, a Wilder design signature?

I wouldn’t say that it’s a signature style but a frequented one. We are always looking for new and interesting ways to display our arrangements.

Where do you find new inspiration for your arrangements?

From nature first and foremost. And market. I like to have a brief and colour palette in mind but really the true inspiration comes at market when I can see the blooms in the flesh and play around with different combinations / designs.

Image by Elisse Hassey

If you had free reign how would you design the floral arrangements for a wedding reception

If I had free reign on a wedding I would like to go for high impact. There is nothing more striking than flowers en masse. I would choose summer for the green mottled hydrangea and use this in conjunction with wild hops for shape and texture, Julia David Austin Roses and large white garden roses for softness and colour. I love working in installations so would design a large feature above the dining tables and possibly at the entrance depending on the venue. It is always nice for continuity between the ceremony and reception flowers so I would design a free flowing hand held bouquet with all the same floral elements, including the wild hops cascading down.

Image by Jordana Simpson of Wilder

If, as a bride, I had a limited floral budget, both for my bouquet and reception, what would be the advice you could give me to help my wedding flowers look luxurious? What plants/flowers could I use?

I would suggest being open to using foliages and greenery. They can offer fantastic texture and shape to any arrangement and can be a cost effective way to get more volume. I would also suggest prioritizing in your budget. Rather than trying to do lots of little things here and there, relook at the important areas and creating impact with in those areas.

What do flowers/plants bring to our lives?

Flowers aren’t just what make up the arrangement; they are also a point of conversation, a way to bring people together. They tap into the emotions and the senses.

My favourite autumn/winter look for wedding florals is……

Autumn maple and Julia roses contrasted against magenta David Austins and Lilac Roses.