Poinsettia Dress
Okishima & Simmonds created a living Poinsettia dress for Poinsettia Day.
Floral stylists Chikae Okishima and Jessica Simmonds (based in London) were commissioned to create a stunning haute couture floral dress with cut poinsettias, for Poinsettia Day 2015 (Saturday, the 12th of December 2015).
The result is spectacular, as you can see in these photos !
Without a doubt the dress is worthy of a Princess! The two designers normally style wedding ceremonies and fashion shoots with plant life. For this commission, they created a gown with over 350 freshly cut stems / leaves of red, variegated and cream poinsettia and graduating these colours from the different Poinsettia types, from the bright crimson of ‘feelings Glitter’ through to ‘feelings White’.
Stars of Europe
The project was initiated by Stars for Europe, an EU-funded PR initiative for Poinsettias across 16 different countries and the images from the photo shoot in this blog post were taken at Hill Brothers nursery in Chichester.
The project aims to inspire the public and to change the image of this festive plant. The spectecular dress & photos certainly seem to attract the attention of press (The Times, Daily Express).
Poinsettia in Perfume, Home Fragrance and Skin Care
They are very, very few products in Perfumery, Home Fragrance or Skin Care built around a Poinsettia fragrance or even perfume variants with a poinsettia note.
The olfactive profile of the Poinsettia Flower is a pine-like terpenic scent, frequently with a mushroom note, as they are prone to a fungus.
Florist’s Tip
How can you make a make cut Poinsettia last ?
Dip the cut ends in hot water for 20 seconds, then immediately in cold to seal the milky sap. Then, place them in water and they will last up to two weeks!
This technique was used during the photoshoot to make the flowers last.
Join Florists across the UK & Europe in this coming Saturday with #PoinsettiaDay on social media!
Poinsettia History
The plant is popular at Christmas in floral displays for its red and green foliage. Its common English name comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the United States in 1825.
In the 16th-century in Mexico, the legend goes that a girl (usually called Pepita or Maria), too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the altar of her church. Crimson blooms sprouted from these weeds and became beautiful poinsettias.
From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.
It is said, that the star-shaped leaf pattern symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the crucifixion of Jesus.
Poinsettia Quick Facts:
Here are a few ‘quick facts’ from the RHS
Common name: Poinsettia
Botanical name: Euphorbia pulcherrima
Flowering time: December to January
Planting time: Spring (for repotting)
Height & spread: Up to 60cm (2ft) height; 30cm (1ft) spread
Aspect: Bright but filtered light, indoors
Hardiness: Tender
Difficulty: Easy
Source: RHS
