“This is the year of the trendy prom cuff,” says Rand Powell of Foley’s Florist in Berea, KY.
Rand considers the ultimate prom challenge to be “creating one-of-a-kind customized designs that reflects the wearer's dress, her signature style and the designer’s artistic talents.”
Rand created this non-traditional prom wrist corsage, described as “organic and understated with a flair of glitz” to meet that challenge. He is constantly looking for new materials and ideas to share with his stylish customers. He was inspired to create this design with floral mesh.
Mesh wire inspired pattern
“The Oasis mesh wire was my inspiration for thinking outside the box while working inside the squares,” Rand explains about how he developed the intricate pattern.
Rand submitted his idea to the
2018 INSPIRE Design Showcase, where it was selected as the Most Inspirational Prom design and is being featured in print marketing materials.
He shared with us the design steps he used to create this on-trend corsage.
Prom How-To's
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• Cut a 2"x7" inch section of
wire mesh.
• Cut 6 - 8" sections of
flat wire.
• Weave flat wire into the wire mesh vertically.
• Weave lily grass through the design horizontally.
• Roll sections of
bullion in your hands to form small orbs.
• Clip fresh floral materials from their stems.
• Glue fresh flowers and bullion orbs into place with
floral adhesive.
• Allow a few minutes to for the materials to dry securely in place.
• Mist with an
anti-transpirant to keep the flowers fresh longer. Allow to dry for few minutes.
• Package the wristlet for refrigeration in the floral cooler.
Designing for the next generation
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Rand has always strived to build a reputation for originality and the ability to custom design a stylish piece of floral jewelry that accents a wearer's fashion personality.
After almost 40 years in the floral industry, Rand continues to find himself designing flowers for consumers of the next generation.
“This year, a young lady brought in a picture of her dress with a swatch of material. I asked if she was wearing one of her mother's bridesmaid’s dresses,” says Rand. He designed her parent’s prom and wedding flowers more than twenty years ago and remembered the look of the bridesmaid’s dress. “It was spot on the same color and a similar style,” he recalls.
What is Rand’s favorite part of his job?
Rand enjoys this new generation of prom customers and their flower requests that allow him to showcase his own eclectic design style. He says his favorite part of the job is to create “stunning designs with materials provided by God and Mother Nature.”
What is your favorite part of designing prom flowers for a new generation of customers?
