In an industry driven primarily by exceptional women, narrowing the field to just a handful each year is no easy task. Across retail, design, seed breeding and cultivation, women continue to influence every facet of the global floriculture sector through creativity, leadership and innovation. This year, Florists’ Review highlights professionals from multiple countries who are making a meaningful impact—not only through their distinctive talents, but also through their commitment to supporting their communities and inspiring their fellow (and future) colleagues. We’re proud to present our 2026 class of remarkable women in floristry.
Katya Hutter Floral Design | Amsterdam, Netherlands | @katyahutterfloraldesign
Katya Hutter is a luxury and bespoke floral designer in Amsterdam. Always creatively inclined, she first began her professional career in advertising, public relations, fashion styling and photo production. After a chance trip to Italy, she was driven to pursue floristry, to begin working with her hands and express her creativity. Hutter trained privately with floral artist Atsushi Taniguchi, and later with event designer Nadia Duran. Since then, she’s found an appreciation for garden roses and has honed her lavishly romantic style, working closely with David Austin Roses, collaborating with Maison Valentino and even designing a Harry Styles tour pop-up event. Among all her continued collaborations and achievements, Hutter has been honored by both Homo Faber Guide and Weddings & Honeymoons magazine.
Your designs are so voluminous with juxtaposing shapes and hues. What inspires your aesthetic from one project to the next?
My work is deeply intuitive. I’m inspired by nature in its most honest form, how flowers grow, lean, overlap and sometimes clash beautifully. I love abundance; for me, it’s a form of generosity, something I enjoy as a human being and love to share with others. At the same time, I dislike clutter. Everything needs space to breathe.
What inspires me most is aesthetics that evoke emotion and feeling, expressed through color and floral combinations. A flower, a season, a client’s story, a styling concept, a place, or even a certain light in a room can be deeply inspiring. I’m always searching for tension between softness and strength, between naturalness and refinement. Each project asks for something different—a unique expression. I try to listen carefully before I design, so I can create a very personal floral experience, a living floral art expression that truly touches people’s hearts.
As a former fashion stylist and photo producer, how does your training and unique eye translate into your designs?
Fashion taught me how powerful shape, texture and color are in creating a lasting impression. As a stylist, I learned to trust my eye and to see the whole picture, not just one beautiful element, but how everything works together in a kind of symphony that creates a certain look and feel. Photo production gave me discipline and structure, which are essential in event floristry.
Today, these worlds come together naturally in my work. I design florals the way I would style a look or a set: with a deep sensitivity to aesthetics, intention, layering and a strong sense of the atmosphere that flowers create. Flowers are my precious medium today, yet storytelling and artistic expression have always lived at the heart of what I do.
Several times each year you host workshops and private lessons in Aalsmeer. How do you approach the focus of each workshop and what do you have forthcoming?
I approach workshops the same way I approach my design work: with care, honesty and curiosity. I want people to feel safe to explore, to ask questions and to create freely. Each workshop has a clear focus, but I always leave space for intuition and personal expression.
This year, I’m planning more in-depth, seasonal three-day workshops focused on studying natural and sustainable arrangement techniques, color, seasonality, creative confidence and the artistic expression of emotion. We will create a series of works, from my signature bouquets to table arrangements, and visit my favorite Dutch growers. I’m also expanding my private lessons for professional florists and flower lovers who want more personal guidance, both creatively and professionally.
I collaborate closely with Wouter from Belle Epoque, a garden rose grower and breeder in Aalsmeer, and my workshops take place in their beautiful studio.
Designing with seasonality is one of your specialties. What favorite flowers do you depend on?
Seasonality is essential to my work, it keeps me grounded, curious and never bored. I have a deep love for garden roses, especially English David Austin Roses varieties, because they feel generous, emotional and alive. Lisianthus and sweet peas are also close to my heart for their softness and movement.
I rely strongly on seasonal flowers: in spring I love working with Japanese Ranunculus, Iris and hellebores; in summer with Dahlia, Cosmos and Nigella. Special foliage and wondrous botanical textures are equally important to me, as they create depth and rhythm in my work. When you truly understand seasonal flowers, they give back so much, they guide the design. And when used intentionally rather than forced, they create a kind of floral magic that resonates with people, helps them feel present and gently elevates their spirits.
With more than a thousand events under your belt, what challenges have you overcome that have been most rewarding?
Learning when to say no has been, and still is, one of the hardest challenges—and when I succeed, it becomes one of the most rewarding lessons. Early in my career, I pushed myself constantly, both physically and creatively. Over time, I learned the importance of boundaries, fair pricing and working in a way that is truly sustainable. Trusting my own voice instead of following trends was another big step.
For me, it is very important that the entire process is beautiful from beginning to end: the journey of a flower from the loving hands of some of the best growers and breeders, into the caring hands of my team, to the loving hearts of my clients—and even beyond. After an event, the flowers continue their journey through the Dutch charity Tweede kans Bloemen (Second Chance Flowers), where they are repurposed, and their life is prolonged. It’s an incredible journey, and I feel deeply blessed to be part of it with so many wonderful people and flowers.
The road can be bumpy at times, but I am incredibly grateful for my team of freelance florists—Irene, Shari, Kelly, Werner, Tara, Haruka, Yui, Ilse, Tetiana, Jolien, Dani, Elena, Natalia, to name a few—and I feel very lucky to work with them each season. It’s so rewarding to create a beautiful creative space in my studio where, despite hard work, people feel good, inspired and connected, sharing something meaningful together: the beauty we create.
