The most important part of any company is its people. The people, after all, are what gives a brand its identity. As a boutique floral and event design company, we take a lot of pride in our small tight-knit group. In addition to being extremely talented, our team is comprised of a humble group of hardworking, down-to-earth individuals. Nobody personifies those characteristics more than Brian Kempen, one of our three Event Designers here at Life In Bloom.
Today, we’re sharing a little more about Brian’s background as well as a little bit about him on a personal level with an EXCLUSIVE interview with the man behind the flowers. Enjoy!!
- You are quite the floral expert. When did you first start to develop a passion and knowledge for floral design?
In college I started working as a delivery driver at a flower shop. At the time I wasn’t really interested in flowers, but this shop had such a variety of flowers stocked all the time – it was like a wholesaler. I remember seeing a variety of fringed tulips come in one day that were pitch black and thought these are the coolest things I’ve ever seen. We would get things I never imagined almost daily for years. Right after I started delivering, they needed more help in the store so I switched to prepping flowers that came in to sell and working the front register to make walk-in orders for customers. It was intimidating at first, but as funny as it sounds, the best advice I got was “you always know more than the customer”. So with a false sense of confidence, I started to make some… really ugly bouquets, haha. I never really got any semblance of formal training with floral arranging, but after some practice and seeing the creativity in my coworkers arrangements, I started experimenting with designing. I had started to accumulate this wealth of knowledge of flower varieties, unique floral pairings, and creative mechanics that drove me to keep learning and trying new things that ultimately made me pursue a career in floral design.
- How did you get into the world of events?
It was actually through that same shop I started at. The shop had another location that would hold events, mostly weddings. I got to see larger installations and creations that I didn’t know were possible, and started to appreciate the work as art instead of just a bunch of flowers. I started overseeing the events, kind of like a venue coordinator but mostly just dimming the lights when requested. Touring the space after it was decorated was really exciting because it was styled differently every time. It was all so customizable and the idea of being able to produce these events seemed so exciting with all the possibilities. I knew the next step was to become an event designer but I had to get some skills and insider knowledge first, so I started freelancing around to break into the industry and eventually landed my first job as a floral designer.
- Who inspires you professionally? OR Where do you most like to draw inspiration from?
I’m very drawn to unusual things. I really enjoy moody, dark aesthetics and find that to be my strongest style. One of my favorite artists is ‘The Lillipillian’ from Australia. Every time I scroll past a post of theirs on Instagram I always stop to admire the work, and then I see their name. Another group I’ve been really inspired by lately is a leaf creation studio called ‘Make A Scene’ based in Indonesia. They create complete structures and installations by shaping leaves to make designs. The detail and scale of their work is so impressive.
- What’s the next big idea you’ve got cooking that you can’t wait to find the perfect client for?
I really want to incorporate mushrooms into my designs. There are so many interesting varieties and they add such a unique twist – they’re such fungi’s!
- What’s your favorite season for floral/events?
Autumn – it has the best elements, especially foliages.
- What’s one thing most people might not know about you?
I used to play drums in a two person metal band.
- What’s on your bucket list?
There’s a tree called Eucalyptus Deglupta in the Philippines and other areas, also known as the rainbow eucalyptus. The bark of the tree looks like it has been painted and has a very otherworldly quality to it. One of the things on my bucket list is to see these growing naturally.
- What show are you binge-watching?
I’m really enjoying the “Untold” docuseries on Netflix. Some really wild stories in those episodes.
- Favorite City Restaurant?
Kai-Zan – my favorite sushi spot in Chicago and best Omakase experience. Honorable mention goes to Segnatore – delicious Italian food with a constantly changing seasonal menu.
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