Master Class

We love to think big, even when it comes to florals. And that’s exactly why we heart Hafsa Lewis of Hafsa and Co., Nantucket's go-to for wonderful and whimsical over-the-top flower installations. Here, she shares how an unexpected bout of grief led her toward this joyous career path and even shares a master class on how to create your own memorable arrangements at home. Bonus: If you're in town, visit our store on 11 South Water Street on Saturdays from 10 AM to noon. Lewis will be there, with her floral cart—stop by, say hello and pick up some pretty blooms…

Above: Hafsa Lewis at VB Nantucket wearing the Hawken dress and, right, setting up her pop-up flower cart, both photographed by Emily Elisabeth Photography

What inspired you to go into florals?
Believe it or not, it was actually grief that led me to flowers. Several years ago, I found myself in the wake of an unexpected end to my marriage of seven years. It threw me into a dark place that I struggled to climb out of for quite some time. I was working in the event industry as a side hustle, and incorporating flowers into our service offerings, when it happened. During that time flowers were a form of therapy for me. They helped me feel grounded when I felt like I was spiraling, and it allowed me to connect to beauty at a time when everything felt so ugly. One of my mantras through that chapter in my life was “Flowers grow through dirt and are born beautiful.” Flowers became a way to transport myself outside of my grief without me really realizing it until a few years later. I spent 10 years of my life studying clinical and counseling psychology; in 2017, I quit my comfortable, full-time job and moved to Nantucket. That’s how Hafsa and Co. was born and, I can honestly tell you, I haven’t looked back since.
 
What’s your signature style?
We’re known for the big stuff. Large-scale installations with fresh florals or silk florals are our all-time fave thing to design. We use a lot of silks here on Nantucket for outdoor installs because the elements can be so harsh. When I set out to start Hafsa and Co., I knew I didn’t want to be a wedding florist so I was very intentional about every single job we took. Hafsa and Co. uses flowers to help businesses stand out, through our installs, workshops and pop-ups. We’ve stood by that ethos from day one. We love being known for the folks who love to create outside-of-the-box and custom designs for our clients.
 
Favorite summer flower?
Oh man, that’s like asking someone to choose their favorite child! How could I choose just one?! But the peony will always be one of my favorites. I’ll always be in awe of how gracefully they age. They start in a round tight ball and open their petals to us in all their glory. Towards the end of their life, their color actually fades into a much softer shade than how they first began. It’s a wonder to witness their lifespan.

Picture perfect: Two of Hafsa and Co.'s on-site installations in Nantucket, photos courtesy of @hafsaandco

1. When I teach, the first thing I always tell my students is that there are NO rules! I’m sure there are designers out there who will disagree with me, but that has always been true for me. I found my style through trial and error, and because I’m self-taught, there was a lot of error. If it’s beautiful to you, it’s beautiful period. 
 
2. When I conceptualize an arrangement, I’m usually inspired by a color or a specific flower and I base my entire design around that. This is also true when I’m designing our large-scale installations. I often find that I work in an asymmetrical manner and I’m drawn to this shape rather than a tight, contrived style. I like each flower to have their moment. I always tell my students to look at each stem. Hold it up in front of you, look at the way it falls naturally. That is how I like to use them in my designs. Work with the flower, not against it.  

3. And lastly, things that are important to me when I create anything: one, using a variety of textures and, two, making sure the piece has some type of movement. There is something that evokes emotion when you look at an arrangement with a combination of these things.

To recap: There are no rules, use what inspires you, think about your shape and the story you want to tell, and finally, pick stems that have a variety of texture and movement.

For larger, more creative arrangements:  
We get asked all the time how we make the big stuff. What are the mechanics and how do we get them to stay up? When we show people that the base of our installs is often chicken wire and jam jars, it’s funny to see the reaction. 
The truth is, there isn’t a one size fits all for floral installations. We have to think like architects and as florists. How much weight will it bear? What are the angles we want to create? Is that even possible within the space we’re designing? What are the challenges? The mechanics are always what takes the longest for large installations—the magic happens once we start adding in the stems.
I will tell you that I approached learning flowers the same way I learned psychology. I set out to learn from the people in my industry who are specifically doing what I love to do and who do it the best. I’ve learned so much from these artists and I still reach out to them to this day when I get stuck or need to talk through process and design. If you want to make something creative, the best thing to do is just START, and take stock of the process when you’re finished.