We had such a fun conversation with our July Masterclass guest, Kristen Alpaugh! The "floral mad scientist" is the owner of FLWR PSTL and, our newest partner, Haus of Stems. She took us on a journey from her beginnings in corporate America to becoming the most unique up-and-coming botanical artist.
Her start in the floral industry is like many of us--she felt like she was treading water at her regular 9 to 5 job. She aimed for creativity and the longing to be her true authentic self. With courage and a dream, she moved from Boston to Los Angeles to start her new journey. To meet new people, she would go on walks and joined the local improv comedy scene! She states "good people attract good people"--and with that, her tribe grew.
Being a lover of all things art and an admirer of the floral industry; she took to Youtube and started creating arrangements. Ranging from traditional style to avant-garde Kristen wanted to learn as much as she could about the industry. She would go to the Flower Market in LA and just absorb her surroundings and talk to vendors to learn more. Her creative mind blossomed and soon she found herself experimenting with different artistic mediums. Paint being her go-to tool--she would test idea after idea until one day it finally stuck. Thus, the coveted Irithirum was born!
All at once, Kristen was presented with exciting opportunities to showcase her craft. HBOMAX Full Bloom approached her to see if she was interested in participating in this new competition-style show. Weary of this authenticity of the request, she took the leap of faith and applied for the show. While the show was in production, she had the opportunity to design Katy Perry's dress for her music video Never Worn White.
Her work extends to music videos with popular artists, like Sza and Doja Cat, to designing jewelry for red carpet events. Social Media has been their marketing ticket for the stems. She has so many exciting projects in the works and cannot wait to announce them to the world!
Her advice is to put your "horse blinders" onto the nay-sayers and do what makes your heart happy. There is plenty of work for everyone. Once you start doing what you love--like-minded people will join you. "The unknown is where the magic happens!"
Download the full Masterclass Cliff's Notes PDF below to see all of the tips and advice Kristen shared:
If you are interested in ordering from Haus of Stems--you can send your orders through Details! If you are ordering over 100 stems, they require at least two weeks' notice. Anything below could be ordered a week in advance. There are many new offerings coming to the Haus of Stem's catalog--so keep an eye for these announcements! If you'd like to learn more about our new, exciting partnership with Haus of Stems, check out our blog, "Haus of Stems: A New Species of Flowers."