Celebrity florist Jeff Leatham talks gift ideas and the Kardashians’ epic arrangements: ‘They love hard’
As one of the world’s most sought-after celebrity florists, Jeff Leatham has plenty to celebrate — and so do his superstar clients.
His work takes center stage at some of the highest-profile parties around, including those thrown by Kris Jenner — who he tells Page Six Style has “some of the best taste that I’ve ever seen in my life” — and the other members of her famous family, who frequently surprise each other with his imaginative arrangements. (Kim even wrote the foreward for his book, “The Art of the Flower.”)
“They love celebrating life, they love celebrating love, and they love to wow each other,” Leatham adds of the Kardashian-Jenners. “It’s not a thing about over-excess; they love hard, and they’re very loyal.”
They’re more than happy to experiment with new florals, however; Leatham says their taste changes “all the time,” and that they’re “always on the cutting edge” of the latest trends.
“Every once in a while I’ll get a text like, ‘This is cool. Should we try this?'” he says of his exchanges with the Kardashian crew.
It’s a philosophy they share with Leatham, who’s routinely pushing the boundaries of flower design — including combining both digital and physical blooms at his immersive New York exhibition, “Bloomtanica,” which runs through June 9 at Genesis House and drew stars like Whoopi Goldberg to its opening night.
“It’s the first time that those two worlds have met like this. I’m big on doing things the first time,” he tells us of the sprawling showcase.
But if you’re inspired by Leatham’s work, you won’t need floor-to-ceiling screens or A-list connections. To harness the power of flowers at home, read on for the famous florist’s gift-giving tips — plus online delivery options selected by Page Six Style.
Show off the stems
When it comes to cut flowers, few are as cutting-edge as Leatham’s — something the Kardashian-Jenners know well. They tend to commission arrangements that showcase the “beauty of the whole flower,” not just the bloom.
“They like organic-looking at the moment; they like to see the stems in the water,” he says.
Shop similar flowers selected by Page Six Style:
UrbanStems The Peony
Flowerbx Snazzy White Snapdragon
UrbanStems The Firecracker
Make it monochrome
Whether he’s designing for institutions like the Four Seasons or star clients like Oprah Winfrey, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Bryant (to name just a few), he often follows the “Leatham three” philosophy: “Keep everything clean, simple and chic.”
“Don’t mix more than three varieties of flowers together. The serenity and the zen-ness of flowers is when you look at them and they make you calm,” he adds, saying you “can’t go wrong” with keeping things monochromatic in shades of green, white, fuchsia, red, deep purple or blue.
Shop similar flowers selected by Page Six Style:
UrbanStems The Peony Clouds
Flowerbx Flamingo Peony
BloomsyBox Red Peony Tulips
Embrace the unconventional
“Honestly, the bodegas in New York are awesome [for flowers],” Leatham tells us, also name-dropping Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. “[It’s] more fulfilling to someone you’re giving flowers to if you kind of throw them together yourself.”
If you’re looking to gift blooms in the form of fragrance, however, the floral expert’s longtime signature scent — Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb ($145) — will never wilt. (“I think men should wear women’s fragrances, because the pH balance in everyone’s body makes the fragrance smell different,” he adds.)
Shop similar flowers selected by Page Six Style:
Whole Foods Whole Bouquet
Whole Foods Pioneer Flower Farms Spring Fling Bouquet
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