Spring flowers for a Mac X Cosmopolitan event celebrating women of colour
International Women's Day has become one of the dates I look forward to most in the floristry year. There's something about it that brings together everything I care about — creativity, community, and the chance to make a space feel genuinely celebratory. When Ad Curated Agency got in touch about a lunch co-hosted by MAC Cosmetics and Cosmopolitan Magazine at La Maison Ani in Knightsbridge, I knew it was going to be a good one.
The brief
The event was a celebration of women of colour from all different backgrounds and professions — a proper gathering, the kind where people arrive as strangers and leave feeling seen. Guests were also there to try out a new make-up range from MAC, so the whole atmosphere needed to feel indulgent and considered. The brief for the flowers was essentially: make every surface something worth looking at.
I was lucky enough to have La Maison Ani in London as the venue and the interior is exactly the kind of room that is nice to work with. Soft coral banquettes, warm wood panelling, candlelight — there's an Art Deco elegance to it that made the spring flowers pop.
The flowers
Early March is a brilliant time to be working with seasonal British and European blooms. I had paperwhites coming in beautifully — their scent alone makes them worth using whenever they're available. Hellebores were at their peak, which I was delighted about; they're one of those flowers that feels genuinely special rather than ubiquitous. I worked in ranunculus and anemones for texture and movement, all in a palette of soft pinks, cream and peach that would sit warmly against the room's existing tones without feeling overly 'Valentine's'.
The arrangements were spring-filled low bowls, full enough to feel abundant but low enough for guests to see each other across the table — always a practical consideration for a lunch like this, where conversation is half the point.
Why events like this matter
I'm a Black-led business, and working with organisations that are explicitly celebrating women of colour — not just tokenistically, but as the whole point of the event — means something to me. The floristry industry is still overwhelmingly white. Visibility matters in both directions: it matters who is being celebrated, and it matters who is doing the work.
Being trusted with an event like this, alongside a brand like MAC and a publication like Cosmopolitan, is something I'm proud of. Flowers were on every surface guests could see, and that felt right for a day about being seen.
Photography: Genevieve Leah
Planning an event? I’d love to hear about your day.
