As a self-appointed corsage ambassador, I feel compelled to share my love for the art of corsage making widely. Corsages have a huge public relations problem. Most florists I talk to are beyond weary of the tradition, and for good reason. They argue that corsages look dated, trite, or garish. Beyond the aesthetic issues, many just plain hate the drudgery of making them. People often recount their training in this work—they were taught to wire all the botanical components (commonly spray roses, stiff greenery, and a filler flower like baby’s breath) and combine them with a mass of looped ribbon. This collection of materials was then typically strapped to an inexpensive elastic wristlet, or some sort of tacky, sparkly rhinestone-encrusted corsage bracelet. I was trained this way. I’ve made more than a thousand corsages for others over the years, and when I opened my own studio I was determined that my offerings would be different. I wanted to see streamlined, sophisticated, simple, flower-forward corsages that exemplify the moment. I wanted to combine my love of jewelry design and flowers by pairing interesting, unexpected botanicals with sleek jewelry bases instead of stretchy elastic. In these pages I outline my preferred ways of making corsages—techniques that offer design ease, wearability, and a contemporary feel. I hope they inspire new designers to fall in love with corsages—and jaded florists to give them another try.
