MEET THE MAKER

Farmer-florist @milliproust

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I spent my early working life in archiving, which is a bit like being a librarian for artworks. At 21, I went to RADA to train as an actor. After graduating, I juggled archiving with doing plays, radio and a little TV before moving from London to West Sussex at the end of 2016. I started growing flowers – and became obsessed. I interned at a florist shop and grew produce in every spare moment. Within the first year I’d grown flowers for my first wedding, as well as bountiful produce for a London deli. I became a full-time farmer-florist a couple of years later.

Where do you look for inspiration?

My mum was my primary school art teacher and I still look for colour and composition ideas in paintings. I love the theatre, too. Nothing makes me happier than sitting in an audience and having a story play out and an atmosphere conjured live in front of me. I try to bring an element of storytelling to my design work whether it’s thinking about larger installations from almost a set-design point of view or simply trying to convey time, place or sentiment in smaller works.

What do you love most about what you do?

One thing that brings me joy is how seasonal the work is; each week offers new ingredients and I’m always filled with anticipation about the return of a favourite flower. It’s exciting that I still have so much to learn about the intersection of growing and floral design. There are so many more flowers to experiment with growing and with seeing how they work for cutting.

Which other creative we should know about?

@themarconcourtproject. My cousin’s partner Laura is a dressmaker who uses only recycled fabrics and upcycles vintage pieces to make bespoke designs.

Also see Milli’s book, From Seed to Bloom (£20, Quadrille)