INTERVIEW
DIVERSITY IN FLORISTRY:
HOW SAGE FLOWERS IS STANDING UP TO AN INDUSTRY STUCK IN THE PAST WORDS BY MARTINE AAMODT HESS
Flowers are associated with love, beauty and innocence, but beneath the polished surface lies a much darker story. In floristry, there are invisible barriers to entry rooted in racism and prejudice. This is where SAGE Flowers comes in as a team on a journey to change exactly that.
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ale green hydrangeas and soft rose petals paired with dramatic peonies and magenta lace-leaves reaching for the sky. Step into the heavenly world of SAGE Flowers and be greeted by sculptural bouquets resembling works of contemporary art. The Peckham-based floral studio has brought a pop of colour to South London and supplied no other than Rihanna and Gucci with vibrant installments. Though it is not only their floral arrangements that are unconventional. In an industry dominated by whiteness and a lack of willingness to diversify it, SAGE’s co-founders Iona Mathieson and Romy St Clair actively work towards inclusion. As SAGE is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month, we can look back at the many ways in which they have chosen to take a clear stance on the shortcomings of the industry. Romy explains: “There is very little diversity in floristry as it stands.
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In the shops and studios, there are mostly white women and the flower market mostly consists of white men.” She believes this lack of diversity is caused by prejudice that permeates the industry, and the resulting barriers which keep people of certain backgrounds from entering or even seeing it as an option. “Barriers to entry into floristry include training fees, the expectation to do unpaid internships and an unwelcoming working environment,” Romy says. Despite running a small independent business, the co-founders have set out on a mission to drive forward much-needed change. Throughout lockdown, they have invited industry professionals to participate in online panel discussions where inclusion is on the agenda. In the hope of paving the way for others to do the same, SAGE has recently also established the free training programme FutureFlowers.
