LR Friends
Cultivating Creativity with Ahna Han
A gifted florist, even Ahna Han’s breathtaking arrangements pale in comparison to the person behind the blooms. We had the pleasure of spending the day with Ahna at her Hoboken studio, where she shared her thoughts on self expression, personal style, and flowers as love language.
On Finding Her Passion
"While working in fashion, floral design began as a personal hobby for me and transcended beyond what I had initially imagined. I wanted to foster an environment for myself, and for others, where the same tactile practice used in fashion design of color, shape and composition could be applied without the limitations of orientation or size. I’ve found that flowers are an undeniable universal love language and with so much symbolism behind an individual bloom, it helps me stay connected to why I became an artist — to tell a distinctive story.
"To anyone who is considering making their passion their career, my biggest piece of advice is to silence shame. The reason is twofold: you have to be able to ask for help, and be care-free. Asking for help shamelessly and not caring about what people think of you is a powerful and necessary skill to have."
On Personal Style
"My approach to style is one part practical and one part whimsical. I love the Mimi dress for both reasons. It’s practical, because the shape of the dress allows for movement, but the puff sleeve and bow tie details feel playful. When it comes to workwear in the studio, I prefer a slim high waisted pant like the Roy paired with anything — a t-shirt, a sweater, a blouse."
On Representative Arrangement
"If I were to design an arrangement to reflect my story, I would use one singular flower — a Snake Ball Allium. It’s a perennial flower from Japan that grows vertically with an unruly spiral stem. Symbolically speaking, Alliums are associated with prosperity, but also humility and patience. What I’ve found in my journey of life, love, career, and creativity is that there is no straightforward path. Like a Snake Ball Allium flower, it is an upward spiral to find success in getting where I currently am to where I want to be."
On Trust
"What I love and feel is the most special about working with couples on their wedding blooms is the partnership and camaraderie we build together. My clients tend to consider me a close confidant because they rely on me to be open and honest. Much like their own partnership, our relationship is based on trust. It’s a strict requirement of the job because on such a special day, this trust serves as the foundation for how we bring each couple’s unique vision to life."
On Her Wedding Blooms
"What I love and feel is the most special about working with couples is the partnership and camaraderie we build together. My clients tend to consider me a close confidant because they rely on me to be open and honest. Much like their own partnership, our relationship is based on trust. It’s a strict requirement of the job because on such a special day, this trust serves as the foundation for how we bring each couple’s unique vision to life."
On Inspiration
"I grew up in a city my whole life, so I’ve had minimal exposure to nature. In turn, I find a lot of inspiration in New York's streetside planters. The city isn’t entirely devoid of nature if you seek it out in your immediate surroundings. I have always been a very curious individual, so exploring new ideas, activities and experiences the city has to offer motivates me to create, always overflowing with unusual color combinations and unexpected pairings that look beautiful side by side."
