Jay Michael may have just launched his new floral company, Mr. Michael Presents...Designed, but his creative work with flowers began early. As a kid in Castle Rock, Washington, Michael grew and produced his own blooms in local greenhouses. While studying horticulture and plant physiology at the Seattle Floral Design Institute, he improved his knowledge and work, and went on to handle design accounts and corporate events in Seattle. He moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to take a job at Eric Buterbaugh Design, where he worked for more than five years.
In April, he launched Mr. Michael, where he combines plant physiology and design to create one-of-a-kind looks. Pieces include hypericum berries strung on wire for a helixlike look, and calla lilies sculpted into ring shapes. “My background relates to my current work because often in my sculptures and floral fashion I disassemble product,” he says. “To form other structures, it’s necessary to know the vascular and molecular makeup. [You need to] be able to pick the proper variety to successfully build the project after deconstruction of the original.”
Michael calls his style “modern with a romantic edge.” He now works on events of varying sizes, from movie premieres to weekly house accounts for the likes of Disney. His work ranges from classic arrangements to headpieces for the runway and dresses for editorial shoots made completely out of flowers.
Michael created underwater displays of roses for French Connection’s fall collection cocktail party at the Soho House in West Hollywood in August. “His avant-garde arrangements were artistic, sophisticated, and enhanced the overall aesthetic of our event,” says Shadow PR co-president Lisette Sand-Freedman, whose company tapped him for the job.