"We are passionate about creating flowers in a new way" - Sara & Alice, the creators of Reevein Studios
Sara to the left and Alice to the right. Find selected Slow Flowers at KEEPR here.
Photos: Eline Hædersdal.
We meet Sara & Alice one Friday morning. It is the day after they celebrated the opening of their new showroom, located in the heart of Copenhagen at Nikolaj Plads. The beautiful white premises form the setting for Reevein Studios, which creates Slow Flowers: An artistic alternative to fresh cut flowers.
A creative match
The two met each other at an advertising agency. Alice was making props for a project Sara was working on. Alice has been making makeup, special effects & props in the film industry for many years, and Sara has worked in the creative advertising industry. They started by using what they had of used textiles from the clothing industry and scraps from, among other things, props. This is where the first prototypes were created.
Alice: “I was extremely fascinated to hear Sara talk about the flower industry and that she wanted to create an alternative. Something that should be exclusive. Also to challenge the boring fake-flowers.”
When asked what they are passionate about in the process, they say that they appreciate both being involved in all steps. However, they have different passions.
Alice: “I am a material nerd. I love to dive into something and investigate further and further, about materials, shine and other looks.”
Sara: “I am more about the overall creative direction at the start of the process. Finding fun new ways to do things and breaking boundaries between design and art”.
“We want to be that better alternative”
Alice is holding The Dawn Feather Leaf Pink.
Sara talks about their fundamental passion regarding Reevein Studios: “We don't want to preach about the green transition. Because if you create something new today, it must be something that takes the environment into account. But we also want the product to last for many, many years. That's why we use, for example, latex and glue. We use the best alternatives when we can, and we try to use as many recycled materials as possible.”
Keep it forever
Sara and Alice wanted to create something that lasts. It's not only good for the environment to create something that can last for many years instead of buying new all the time. It's also about creating something that can prolong the memory that can be associated with flowers.
Sara is holding Atrium Ivory.
Sara: “There is something beautiful in being able to keep a flower from your bridal bouquet. Or that a gift you give to your mother can last longer than a week. That the flower and the memory of it can last almost forever.”
From sketch to Slow Flower
Alice speaks passionately about how the process fits together: “All the designs that have been made, Sara and I have made together. We sketch first and then we send it for testing. We find the right materials and investigate what is best in relation to how it should look in the end. Should it be shiny or not? All these small steps are an exciting exploratory phase. At the end, we make a prototype, and from there it's about ensuring that the production complies with our own standards regarding the look and that the products are made from as many recycled materials as possible.”
Sara and Alice work with a team where each person only does one thing because she or he is the best at exactly that. For example, there is only one person who paints the leaves, and it is someone else who attaches the stem. “Everything is handmade and nothing is made by a machine", Alice explains.
“It's a jungle”
It is clear that the two women are interested in the green transition. Sara explains: “We try to do our best, but what is good for the environment is also difficult. It's a jungle to navigate. Right now there is a debate about whether it is good to reuse plastic in the clothing industry. Because when it is used for clothing, it is not possible to recycle it again. So we are also generally interested in how you can create something that harms the environment as little as possible. And with these flowers, we are constantly testing new opportunities to become better. We do not want to promise anything and state exact figures such as saying 80% recycled material, but we are constantly trying to do better. We want to create something that is made of as many recycled materials as possible plus materials that make the product last for many, many, many years.”
Alice adds: “And it's only the two of us, and we are not experts, but two people who are passionate about creating flowers in a new way.”
See selected Slow Flowers from Reevein Studios here.
