Renowned floral designer Sophie Powell of U.FL.O. (Unidentified Floral Object), London, is instantly recognisable for her amazing, show-stopping floral head-dresses.
Sophie grew up with a love of flowers thanks to her grandmother; an avid gardener and competition florist.
Having a creative career in mind, Sophie didn’t go to a floristry college or complete an apprenticeship, but instead managed to get work experience in a very small London shop after asking almost every shop in the city if they would have her. Balancing a full-time job, she did weekend work at said flower shop and then, one day, a guy got fired and she took over his job. And the rest, as they say, is history!
For over a decade, Sophie has had various roles with some of London’s leading florists, however, it was an opportunity at the legendary McQueens Flowers where Sophie’s talent and dedication really came to the fore. She spent five years at the helm of their globally recognised flower school and found the experience very rewarding. As she says: “I am super proud when students go onto to have flowers in their everyday lives. The fact that I may have had an input in their floral careers is massive for me.”
Last year, Sophie unveiled her much-anticipated studio, U.FL.O. (Unidentified Floral Object) and spends her time crafting ambitious installations or travelling the world as a guest tutor. Her expertise and bold, art-centric approach have solidified her status as an authority on flowers.
Refreshingly, Sophie has stayed very grounded despite all the attention she is now receiving. One of her favourite chores in her studio is conditioning… “I love the quiet time I have with the flowers, preparing them for use and giving them a moment of calm in water before their performance. The flip side is breaking down the installations. I mean, untangling chicken wire is probably one of the worst jobs!”
Positives will always outweigh any negatives, and we know that Sophie will continue to amaze and delight with her show-stopping talent. As she readily confesses: “My passion is to share a magical floral world through creating memories of colour and excitement working together with clients to make their floral fantasies come true. By day you’ll find me creating one-of-a kind arrangements, bouquets, or teaching floral workshops, and by night I’m out making large scale floral installations at events and weddings all around London Town!”
And at last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, one of her floral head-dresses even got the royal seal of approval when her creation, worn by Andi McDowell of Dahlia Beach, caught the eye of King Charles, confirming that Sophie truly knows how to create impact with her florals. Way to go, Sophie!
Insta: @u.fl.o.london
https://uflo.co.uk
