Weird science
From her studio in los Angeles, floral designer sophia Moreno-bunge has an unusual take on an age-old tradition
Although I haven’t formally studied ikebana, I feel my work aligns with many of the practices of ikebana, such as mindfulness and consideration, which are a big part of my process,’ says sophia Morenobunge, the Buenos aires-born, Los angeles-based floral designer whose weird, whimsical arrangements are redefining an age-old craft. a‘ ttention to the materials and their provenance, the space within which we are working, the person we are designing for, the season we are in, the landscape around us – these are all important elements that I think about. What I love about ikebana is the attention to detail, to history, to harmony and to technicality. What results is a poetry that I hope to also find in my work.’
now in its fifth year, her company Isa Isa (named after her grandmothers, both named Isabel) has firmly established sophia as the designer’s designer, with her arrangements placing an emphasis on locally sourced elements in unusual pairings. ‘I’m constantly just playing around with materials. I love contrasts – light and dark, floral and botanical, a dry brittle grass or artichoke flower alongside a vibrant bloom. It just sparks more imagination and more feeling to pair odd things together,’ she explains of her approach to design.
For sophia, her experiences growing up in south america continue to serve as the starting point of her creative vision. ‘There’s a rustic and simple elegance to argentina that has been a huge inspiration to me – I had a very outdoorsy and family centred life,’ she says. ‘Patagonian summers where we’d spend all day at the lake making weird driftwood sculptures and collecting special rocks, tall pampas grasses at my grandmother’s farm, bundles of gardenia in summer.’ The move to Los angeles had a similar impact on her, albeit in completely the opposite way. ‘Los angeles is has such a varied and strange landscape – from tropical and colourful trees lining the streets to dry desert landscapes and ocean views,’ she explains. ‘I love thinking about these elements in my designs; golden grasses, bright pink silk floss trees, black seaweed – it has so much going on.’
of course, you don’t get to be a disruptor by only focusing on the past – and sophia is already exploring new ways of thinking. ‘I’m very inspired by movement and shape, negative space, and work that feels at times effortless and in other moments very intentional,’ she muses.
and it’s not only about the florals, as sophia is quick to point out she’s on the hunt for a new type of ceramic to hold her fantastical creations. ‘I had a long moment with coloured glass,’ she explains, ‘and while I still love these, I’ve been gravitating towards more odd-shaped pieces lately. I like weird shapes, big vessels with small openings and small vessels with big flowers.’ In every way this makes perfect sense when considering sophia’s creative modus operandi: embrace the unusual, dare to defy convention and stay true to the vision behind your craft. ISA ISA n
8 isafloral.com
What i love about ikebana is the attention to detail, to history, to harmony