As a teenager, Azuma Makoto left his home in Fukuoka and moved to Tokyo to become a musician – when fate intervened. “I took a job as a trader at a flower market to help with money,” he says. “Each day, my admiration for flowers developed and soon I knew everything about them.”
Twenty years on, Makoto has become a master of turning flowers into art, creating stunning installations using plants and blossoms. “You need strength to ‘break’ and then ‘make’ things,” explains Makoto in his lyrical way. “I always want to be respectful of nature, confronting flowers around me and express them with an unpretentious heart.”
Caption: Azuma Makoto
While not all of us can visit his “haute couture” floral shop, Jardins des Fleurs, in Tokyo, anyone in London this month can enjoy a rare chance to see and purchase his “bottle flowers” – clear bottles filled with unusual and exotic flowers and water. Celebrating Fendi's flower-studded spring/summer 2016 collection , Makoto’s signature creations will take pride of place at the brand’s pop-up at Selfridges, with his rainbow-coloured flower jars, made by florists from his studio, available for £40 each. “My team select the flowers each morning and delicately place them into the bottles in a specific way, so that they don’t ruin their beautiful natural form,” says Makoto, of these unique flower "bouquets" that can last up to a month.
Caption: Makoto's Bottle Flowers
Fendi will also pre-launch new bags for this pop-up, including flower-strewn Peekaboo, 2 Jours and 3 Jours styles, as well as European exclusives Mini Peekaboo Flowers and 3 Jours in red. And if you are still flower-hungry, you could even customize the bags with a flower stamp or interchangeable straps with 3D leather flower details.
Caption: Fendi's Peekaboo and Fashion Show Baguette bags
Fendi’s Flowerland pop-up is on until 19 June at the Designer Galleries in Selfridges London. Azuma Makato’s Bottle Flowers will be available until 29 May. Fendi's Flowerland bags are available at Fendi.com, Selfridges and select sites and boutiques including Net-a-Porter and starting from £940.
Text by Jainnie Cho
