Fans of Virginia florist Holly Heider Chapple, rejoice! There’s a new tool entering the market that will help you achieve her signature lush, garden-like style.
Last month, Syndicate Sales announced that it would be manufacturing a product Chapple affectionately calls “the pillow.” She caught up with Florist 2.0 to offer details on her new partnership.
F20: How does it work?
HHC: The egg is wonderful for bouquets because you are able to create natural, loose, free form bouquets with less product. It keeps the stems from collapsing and stops the design from becoming a tight round ball. Because of the armature, you can lay the design down as you are working — go to the restroom, nurse a baby, or just give your hands a break! The egg cradle can also be used to tie on heavy items like tillandsia or fruit. The structure adds support to the design.
The pillow is larger than the vessel and rests on the rim of the vase. It is not necessary to use tape. Because the pillow is elevated and offers two layers of support, the design is very sound. The stems go through both layers and rest in the water. You’re actually able to pick up the entire design and remove it from the container to freshen up the water and/or change the design to a different vase. This will be a huge benefit for the person receiving the design, the florist in the retail shop who has to keep water fresh, and the event designer who loses water during transport.
F20: Where did you get the idea?
HHC: It was necessity that caused me to create this style of mechanics. I had a bride who specifically requested “signature star flowers.” She explained that she wanted to see each bloom, she wanted to enjoy the space between the flowers. In order to meet my bride’s expectations, I created my first egg in Palm Springs in November of 2014.
A few months later, at the 2015 Chapel Designers London Conference, we needed to return the containers to the sundries merchant who had donated them. I suggested we use bigger eggs on the vases to avoid taping a grid or shoving wire into the merchant’s vessels, as I knew they would go up for sale again. It was there that the students began calling the mechanic for centerpieces “a pillow”. (You can read the whole story here.)
F20: How did the partnership with Syndicate Sales come about?
HHC: Syndicate Sales has been a friend of my studio for several years. They were sponsors/ speakers at some of the Chapel Designers events that I host. I totally loved and respected the contacts I had at Syndicate, so I went to them for help. My husband and I traveled to Kokomo, Indiana to meet President Laura Shinall President, Director of Sales Kelvin Frye, and Director of Product Development Trent Harshman.
At this point, I have made so many eggs and pillows, that I actually dread the thought of making them! However, the mechanics are so good, so worthy, and the look of the completed design is so undeniably better that I continued creating them, bloody fingers and all. To say I am relieved and thrilled that I will not have to make them anymore is an understatement. And, actually, the forms designed for me by Syndicate are far better than the homemade version. They are stronger and offer so much support — without the pain and anguish and time I was investing!
F20: When can florists get their hands on the pillow?
HHC: The product will be released in January 2018. Designers should register here to be the first to receive information and special offers.