Amanda Luu and Ivanka Matsuba are the powerhouse behind the incredible Mondine Studios located in San Francisco, CA. Together, they create timeless flower arrangements for weddings and editorials locally and internationally. Their arrangements are breathtakingly gorgeous, minimalistic, and elegant. Inspiration is found in the lushness of English Garden arrangements and the precision of Japanese ikebana. The floral designers stay versatile by adapting their designs to the changing seasons as they continue to challenge themselves creatively by seeking out the rarest ingredients and working with the finest flowers throughout the country.
We were lucky enough to be able to meet with Amanda at the San Francisco Flower Market to get a behind the scenes look at her design process from start to finish. We began our process by running around the flower market collecting different flowers based on size, texture and color. We chose a more rustic arrangements with elements or deep purple and green. Amanda was clearly a regular at the mart, with many of the workers eagerly greeting her upon arrival.
After we collected our ingredients, we took them back to Studio Mondine and started the creative process of composing our arrangements. We used chicken wire to create the space to insert the flowers in our vases.
“For this arrangement we had roses as our medium, marigold, and our hero, the mum flower. Pretty much every composition we pull feels something like this,” Amanda stated before starting her composition.
