When I first met Elizabeth Wyrick, she was walking into the studio carrying a huge bucket of the most exotic and colorful flowers I had ever seen – moss, spikes, fuschia – all while a blizzard was brewing outside.

Together with our porcelain muse, we were able to recreate a colorful, warm spring day in the middle of a winter storm. I watched in awe as Bess created the floral crowns with effortless grace…these small works of art were a beautiful  balance of texture, life, movement, and color.

It felt as though Bess had grown up among the very flowers she twisted and tucked into gorgeous sculptural shapes. When I asked about her connection to nature, it was no surprise to find she is living on a flower farm in California, had spent a semester of college in the forest as part of her master thesis, and is currently running one of the most successful floral businesses in the U.S. Her events range from charity galas for Leonardo DiCaprio to the Governor’s Ball to art installations at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

My favorite part of the day, though, was hearing her inspiration for each of the pieces she created, which you can read below…

  Above: Antonio Berardi top, protea flower crown inspired by Max from “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak

Above: Alberta Ferretti dress, crown of poppies with a base of grapevine, inspired by the vibrant and eccentric hats of the Kentucky Derby

Above: John Galliano dress, crown of roses and lady slipper, inspired by winged forest fairies and the combination of soft and hard flowers

 Above and top image: Something Else dress, crown of hanging lichen, hellebore flowers and olive branches, inspired by the queens in Game of Thrones

Shot at Ann Street Studio with flowers crowns created by Bess Wyrick, modeled by Colette of MSA, Hair & Makeup by Flippin Faces