Going monochrome is one of the most foolproof strategies for creating elegant floral arrangements, but in the hands of Dior Maison artistic director Cordelia de Castellane, it reaches a whole new level of sophistication.
Cordelia de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Maison and Baby Dior, in a flower-wrapped bedroom in her country house. Parts of the house date back to the 15th century.
MATTHIEU SALVAING
Irises, allium, sweet peas, and lavender bloom in barbotine vases, themselves shaped like irises.
BILLAL TARIGHTFor this shapely study in purple, she chose barbotine vases and complementary green urns, filling them with stately irises, fluffy allium, and soft flutters of wild sweet pea in shades from mauve to amethyst—all straight from the garden at her country home in Oise, north of Paris. “I don’t overcrowd the composition,” she notes, creating “a dance of purple and lavender” enhanced by the intriguing mix of textures. “I’m a woman in a hurry…so I’m learning to be patient and to observe. This garden has transformed my life,” she shares in her new book, Flower Couture: From My Garden to My House (Rizzoli).
Read on to see more of de Castellane’s inspiring floral creations!
Blue-and-white vases are a favorite, and make an array of rich red flowers pop. “I play with dahlias, their height and shape, like sculptures,” says De Castellane.
BILLAL TARIGHT
Simple fern fronds placed individually in glass bud vases and grouped in small ceramic vases create a verdant array to fill a fireplace in summer.
BILLAL TARIGHT
De Castellane placed chicken wire inside glass-lined baskets, then added apple tree branches, hydrangeas, and Queen Anne’s lace. “I leave the tall branches asymmetrical and place the hydrangeas lower down to create different levels. When you see the whole thing assembled, it’s like looking at a painting.”
BILLAL TARIGHTTHIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 16 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
