Hi! I’m Alyssa and I’m the founder and creative director of Avant Garden, an online flower boutique bringing LA-inspired floral design to New Zealand.

I’ve been a florist since I was 16 years old and have been passionate about flowers ever since. Because I started so young, I always felt a drive to be the best floral designer I could be. I worked in a handful of Auckland flower shops for 10 years but had an urge to take my skills further. There was so much more out there to learn and experience. In 2015 I moved to Los Angeles and I started working in a high-end flower studio, Eric Buterbaugh Flower Design, which boasted a huge list of celebrity clients, such as the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Demi Moore and Naomi Campbell, as well as the high-fashion clients that lined the streets of Beverly Hills – all of them with big budgets to boot. Eric Buterbaugh offered unimaginable opportunities and couldn’t wait to see what my new job would throw at me.

The LA flower world is completely different to the stylings of flower shops in New Zealand, and I had to knuckle down and work hard to establish myself as a respected floral designer. Years of dedication and love for the job, as well as being amongst some of the most talented floral designers in the world, enabled me to learn and perfect the style, rising through the ranks to become one of the top designers within our team.

Some of my career highlights include creating a pop-up garden in the middle of Times Square, NYC for a luxury fashion brand photoshoot, and getting to travel around the United States to work at private parties and events hosted by celebrity clients.

My experience working in LA has equipped me with skills unique to other florists in New Zealand. I’m madly in love with flowers and my job, and I’m so excited for Kiwis to discover a fresh spin on floral design.