I had been following Kalya’s floristry business XXFLOS on Instagram for a while before I met her in person at a collaborative shoot earlier on in the year.
I was drawn to XXFLOS for their floral installations that flooded my feed which displayed a true fusion between art and floristry. It’s a visual feast for the eyes and brings imagination into real life.
Kayla’s enchanted garden creations are one of the many reasons I wanted to feature her on Mosey Loves. She is also an extremely down to earth authentic woman, creating her own path in life and business which is ultimately the most inspiring thing.
We hope you enjoy our Mosey Loves feature on Kayla and her business, XXFLOS!
What star sign are you?
Aquarius
Where is your beautiful studio located?
Collingwood Yards
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I am a young creative living in the heart of Melbourne’s concentrated creative community, I run a small contemporary florist as well as a co-working arts studio called Stay Soft. Both ventures find me interacting with the events scene in Melbourne which is where I liked to call home before COVID.
How did you get into Floristry?
Floristry was a life raft in a time when I was a band booker having far too many late nights and needed to connect back with nature.
When did you launch XXFLOS and what drove you to start the business?
Going on four years ago, my drive was based on bringing florals into spaces they otherwise weren’t, and to challenge the way people looked at the medium in general. I wanted to prove botanics as an art medium and not just a trade.
Has your business been effected by Covid 19? If so how have you pivoted?
Yes, entirely. My entire business model and structure had to change to a completely different source of income. Prior to the pandemic, XXFLOS specialised in one-off and ongoing events, and acted as a visual production company as opposed to a retail florist. I swore I would never open a retail operation but here we are and I’m surprisingly loving it.
To me XXFLOS feels like much more than flowers, it feels like a community. Like a nurturing space that is dedicated to bringing colour, beauty and art to people, flowers just happen to be the vehicle.
Is that how you see your business and what you’ve created?
(!!!) I’m flattered, thank you for seeing me, I absolutely agree! XXFLOS has been a collaborative project within the arts community that has brought lots of different practises together from music to fashion etc etc..
I love that you support other female led businesses through your business by stocking their products, was this done intentionally?
Yes. Being a young woman in business I obviously had my struggles but the people who had a big influence on me were older women who gave me support and I hope to do the same for others.
On a whole what inspires you and what is your creative process like?
My inspiration comes from romantic and otherworldly experiences, friendships and places. My creative process is pretty directly influenced by the sentiment of these things. I always hope to materialise my own imagination, which generally looks like a Tim Burton or Dr Seuss book.
All your beautiful XXFLOS bouquets and arrangements are created out of dried flowers. What made you choose this route as appose to a more traditional fresh flower approach?
First, sustainability. There’s far too much waste in the floral industry. Dried flowers can be kept for long periods of time as a botanical sculpture rather than something perishable. Lastly, the colours. Dehydrated and dried flowers are produced in the colours that work with my desired aesthetic.
Being a creative and having a studio to create in is very special.
The Mosey Me studio is the heart and soul of my business and helps me visualise and create everything. The energy in there is extremely important. I felt a beautiful energy when I walked into your studio space /show room, every corner had beauty and colour in it. Is this something that you have put a lot of time and energy into cultivating?
Absolutely, I feel like the only way to live my life is to cultivate space and harness beauty. My mental health relies on it.
What’s your favourite part of running XXFLOS?
Probably having a platform to showcase beauty and collaborate with other creatives.
XXFLOS and Mosey feel like a match made in heaven! What is your favourite piece from our Mosey range and why?
My flower bathmat! ‘Cos I love chock and purple together and it makes my shower time all the more sweet!
Rapid Fire Round
Sunrise or Sunset? I’m too romantic to answer that… Sunset.
Ocean or Bush? I actually can’t with that question… Forest.
Good Movie or Good Book? Movie
Silver or Gold? Gold
Gelato or Ice Cream? Gelato
Pink or Purple? Pink
Textured or Smooth? Textured
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