Holly Hipwell
Holly Hipwell, from The Flower Drum, is one of Sydney’s most eminent floral stylists. We caught up with Holly for an insight into her creative journey and her busy, yet incredibly rewarding work routine.
Photography: Jacqui Turk, Jedd Cooney & Courtesy of Holly Hipwell
Holly Hipwell, from The Flower Drum, divides her work time between Sydney and the hinterland in Byron Bay. Photo: Jedd Cooney
‘Truthfully – I never really felt like I had any idea what I was doing, I was just having a really good time. And I still am!’ Photo: Jacqui Turk
‘I‘m consistently learning, evolving and refining my skills - so I look forward to whatever it is that comes next,’ says Holly Hipwell. Photo: Courtesy of Holly Hipwell
‘Flowers are beautiful, but flowers with purpose are spectacular!’ Photo: Courtesy of Holly Hipwell
‘Every day is totally different for me. I flip between the fast pace of Sydney and the laidback lifestyle of Byron where I live with my partner, Mark.’ Photo: Jedd Cooney
H&F: Hi Holly, what led you here and how has your journey evolved?
Holly: This is a reallllllly long story! But in a nutshell, as a kid I loved the idea of floristry but wasn’t altogether enthralled by the concept of early mornings. So I tried out a few different careers – one of the funnest would have been ‘helicopter hostess’, before landing a job at surf/skate brand, Insight, some 17ish years ago. I worked in sales administration, but was quickly relieved of that position because I couldn’t sit still doing data entry all day long!
Eventually, I worked my way into marketing and campaign production. I learned so much from my time there and made life-long friends. I was influenced by some true creative souls. Fast forward — I started The Flower Drum originally as a blog - this is pre-instagram. Can you even remember a time?! Anyway - I started the blog and I would visit the Sydney flower markets every Saturday and go home with armfuls of flowers. I’d take photos and write stories about the growers, the flowers we had in season and just general light-hearted nonsense.
Truthfully, I enjoyed the writing as much as I enjoyed playing with flowers. Eventually I opened a pop-up flower shop on the Northern Beaches that was open most Saturdays, and a lot of my readers and fellow flower addicts would come in and spend the day chatting, drinking coffee and smelling the roses.
From there, I started to book a few events and that’s when I took The Flower Drum on as a full-time endeavour. It’s been a true gift to be surrounded by fellow creatives who have empowered me and believed in me along the way. Truthfully – I never really felt like I had any idea what I was doing, I was just just having a really good time. And I still am!
As a floral artist, what’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way?
Understand why you are doing what you are doing. Understand the objective, the reason. Flowers are beautiful, but flowers with purpose are spectacular!
When did you realise this was your calling?
I did the flowers for a friend’s wedding and I thought - ‘Jeez I’m really good at this!’ I’ve always been creative, but I had never found my medium – once I worked out that flowers were my thing, I just went with it!
What drives your creativity?
Change of season or working with what’s in season. It’s forever inspiring as each month goes by we get gifted – a whole new palette to work with from mother nature!
“Every day I am grateful that I have created a career for myself, doing what I love.”
‘I’ve always been creative, but I had never found my medium – once I worked out that flowers were my thing, I just went with it!’ Photo: Courtesy of Holly Hipwell
‘It’s forever inspiring as each month goes by we get gifted – a whole new palette to work with from mother nature!’ Photo: Jacqui Turk
Can you describe a typical day at work for you?
Everyday is totally different for me. I flip between the fast pace of Sydney and the laidback lifestyle of Byron Bay, where I live with my partner Mark.
When I’m in Sydney it’s usually an early morning starting at the flower markets sourcing florals for an upcoming event, followed by time in my Northern Beaches studio creating arrangements. I travel to all sorts of weird and wonderful locations for weddings, photoshoots, installations and styling jobs. Some days I might start at 4am for a flower market start and not finish until after a midnight bump out! So glamorous, right?! It’s always a very cleansing experience unloading the van after a gig and starting fresh for the next job.
In Byron, I’m usually sitting at my desk plotting my next move, which involves hours of admin: designing, quoting and sourcing – all the while looking out to the rolling hills in the hinterland. It’s so inspiring and incredibly beautiful.
Would you say this is your dream job?
Absolutely. I am forever grateful that I get to dance to the beat of my own (flower)drum!
What colours, flowers and forms are you most drawn to in your work?
It really depends on the season, in summer I’m a sucker for big juicy blooms in a rainbow of colours – clouds of hydrangea and flouncy peonies… always en masse! But then what about big branches dripping in lilac blooms in the spring and dainty little perfumed sweet peas in the winter? Don’t make me pick! I love to hero the form of the flowers or foliage that I’m using- I watch what way it wants to fall in a vessel and build around that. In the beginning of my career I avoided foliage at all costs - now I just love it because I understand how to work with it so much better. I’m a true maximalist. I love a lot of everything!
What’s been your biggest sacrifice?
Sleep.
What is a good piece of advice you’ve been given or would given?
You can burn out very quickly in this job. Don’t try and do everything yourself. That’s my advice... to myself!
Do you have any rituals that help you feel grounded with work and family life?
I know I should probably say yoga... but that’s just not me! I love cooking - it’s a bit of an escape for me. I think it’s so important to sit down together every night and enjoy a home cooked meal and have a laugh.
What does success mean to you?
Every day I am grateful that I have created a career for myself, doing what I love.
What are you looking forward to most this year?
Winter is usually when I have bit of a break and recharge - so right now, I’m really looking forward to that. The upcoming spring/summer calendar is already jam-packed with beautiful weddings, which I’m constantly daydreaming about. As my business really evolved from a passion into designing, creating, styling and flower wrangling - I look forward to continuing on this journey and expanding my offering. I‘m consistently learning, evolving and refining my skills - so I look forward to whatever it is that comes next.