There's more to flowers than you might think!
Kelsea Olivia, founder of East Olivia, a creative agency and floral boutique that's taken the world by storm, sat down with Diply to share with us how her business is blooming through these unprecedented times, as well as why pink will be our go-to color to decorate with for the holidays for years to come.
"I started multiple businesses when I was a kid," Kelsea told us about being inspired by her mother's entrepreneurial work as a hairstylist, but it wasn't until she was an adult with an established career in the music industry before she decided to make the change. "My wedding back in 2013 was my first real experience of taking something that's a narrative, my own story, and bringing it to life in a visual way. That was my first spark of creative work."
"I think it was part of my DNA as a designer to work with brands, and I really find it so fun and challenging," Kelsea told Diply, "because typically large corporate companies can feel less human, and for me, the way to bridge that connection is through flowers and through beauty. I've always been naturally inclined towards corporate clients because of that."
East Olivia isn't just making big creative displays for corporate brands, especially now that the pandemic has limited opportunities for that. Kelsea shifted focus and created an online store, Forever Florals, that sells dried and preserved floral arrangements that can last for up to a year. "I saw [the pandemic] as an opportunity — I've been wanting to launch a preserved florals line for a long time," Kelsea told Diply.
"I always loved the color pink," Kelsea told Diply about how she came up with the idea for a pink Christmas, "There's something very calming about the color pink and people are naturally drawn to the color in general."
Kelsea's inspiration for the pink holiday collection that she described as "warm, cozy, and a bit retro" was a combination of sources like The Grand Budapest Hotel, and her own memories of Christmas growing up. "I loved as a kid waking up on Christmas morning, and part of what inspired me is that I wanted to capture that feeling of excitement and wonder."
After millennial pink has had its moment, Kelsea said, "Lavender for sure, lavender and lilac. Pale purples are the new millennial pink for sure. I'm really excited to develop spring and summer lines that integrate that color into our collection and into our installations."
If you're interested in checking out the preserved florals available, be sure to head to East Olivia's website, and be sure to get all the pink Christmas inspiration you'll need over at the East Olivia Instagram page!
