We’re excited to introduce you to the Mayesh Design Star Workshop Series today. In its second year, the workshop series has just a few stops left in 2018 and you may want to catch one before the end of the tour!  Here’s a peek inside the first 2018 MDS Workshop stop in Miami…

The second year of Mayesh’s Workshop Series is hosted by the 2018 Mayesh Design Star, Kaylee Young, of Flourish by Kay. She entered the Design Star contest because she saw it as an opportunity to not only grow as a designer, but also to inspire others to discover their own style and give them the confidence to stay true to themselves and stand out in a constantly evolving industry. Kaylee’s passion for education is motivated by her own floral design journey; after working in shops and learning traditional mechanics and techniques, she fused her professional training with her own style and techniques to come up with Flourish’s unique design philosophy.

Kaylee believes the key to making a great design is made up of 50% flower curation, and 50% creating the design with good technique. She approaches every design with intention and thoughtfully curates each flower order to reflect that, thus, the name of the workshop series is “Curate & Create.”

The first workshop was held this past January in a beautiful photography studio in the heart of Miami’s vibrant Wynwood District. The workshop took place over two days, kicking off with an evening networking event. The students enjoyed delicious appetizers from local husband & wife catering company, Food Guy Catering, and sipped on wine as they watched presentations from two of the workshop’s sponsors, Alexandra Farms and Hosa.

Kaylee then led them in the first workshop activity, mood boarding. In an effort to help each student define their own design style, she challenged each of them to create a mood board with a canvas panel board and cutout photos that inspired them. After mood boards were completed, attendees were given time to look at each other’s boards, and write down descriptive words that came to mind. Students then returned to their seats to find their own list of descriptive words which they used as a guide to define their personal brands, and as a foundation for their design work. This activity was a lovely way to break the ice and brought camaraderie to a very diverse group of florists.

The second day of the workshop focused on design. Kaylee walked the students through her ordering process and how she carefully designs each flower order to reflect her vision for an event. While Kaylee led the class in a centerpiece demonstration, the students took some time to wander through the carefully curated “gallery of florals,” selecting a few flowers to serve as their inspiration. When it was time to make their own centerpieces, they picked from a gorgeous selection of product hand-selected by Kaylee in a color palette ranging from light pink and peach and transitioning to deep purple and burgundy. From fluffy Japanese ranunculus to delicate sweet peas, and cheerful daffodils to trailing spirea, there was something for everyone.

Following the centerpieces, Kaylee and her design assistant, Jamie Heusser, led the students in a group installation, teaching them how to create a chuppah & aisleway installation using a variety of foliages and garden roses.

The workshop was photographed by fine art photographer Nicole Clarey, and videographer Logan Martin of Talewind Visuals captured the workshop on film.

Blog Post Sponsored by Mayesh Wholesale

Workshop Credits:

Hosted by Mayesh Wholesale
Taught by Kaylee Young of Flourish by Kay
Photography: Nicole Clarey Photography
Videography: Talewind Visuals
Venue: 255 Miami Studio
Rentals: Elements & Accents, Lavish Event Rentals
Catering: Food Guy Catering

Workshop Product Sponsors:

• Hosa
• Alexandra Farms
• Greenrose
• Design Master
• Oasis Floral Products
• Qualisa Roses
• Holex
• Naniwa
• Tuning
• White’s Foliage
• Accent Decor
• Eco Fresh Bouquet
• Ecoroses

Take a peek at the 2nd 2018 Mayesh Design Star Workshop here!