Selling cut flowers, plants and gifts, the Canary Wharf shop will also offer workshops and guidance
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“My grandma told me recently that she wasn’t surprised I was starting this business, because I grew up with flowers all around me,” said Julia Knyazevich.
“As a child I lived with her in a little village in the mountains in Ukraine.
“She had a big garden where she’d plant lots of different flowers and I loved it.”
A major change in Julia’s life came at the age of 16 when, speaking no English, she travelled across the sea to join her mother in the UK.
Adapting to her new environment, she studied fashion buying and worked with major brands such as Dior and Tommy Hilfiger before embarking on a career with luxury lifestyle management company Quintessentially.
Now she’s decided to transform a passion into a business.
“After the pandemic, I spent time travelling, including a long period in Thailand,” said the West India Quay resident.
“I also studied floristry. It’s a discipline that’s always developing, with new trends constantly emerging and I had the idea to start a business.
“While travelling, I’d organised a big birthday party for my husband in Italy – I was looking for a company to help with that, but I couldn’t find one so I decided to do it myself.
“I really enjoyed the process of finding all the decorations and flowers for the long tables and creating the event.
“My husband suggested I should start my own business, so I have.”
a clutch of independent businesses
The Flower Club is one of a clutch of independent businesses that are opening at 8 Harbord Square over the coming weeks.
Wayne Hairdresser Salon opened its doors this month, with nail bar Awe London also coming soon.
Julia’s venture will sell fresh cut flowers and decorative items as well as some plants.
Her brand is inspired not only by the flowers in her grandma’s garden, but also by one of her favourite places in London.
“I absolutely love Petersham Nurseries in Richmond,” said Julia, who moved to the Canary Wharf area in May.
“When I visit the nurseries, I never want to leave. It’s not for everyone because some people prefer classic bouquets to the more unusual arrangements and installations they create.
“For The Flower Club – a name inspired by Thai cafe The Coffee Club I used to visit while living there – my preference is to use a technique that involves positioning flowers in a bouquet to reflect the way they grow in the wild.
“The aim is to create something that looks natural rather than artificial and it’s better for the flowers because they last longer.
“When I do arrangements I like mixing flowers with fruit or vegetables. It might sound crazy to some people, but it’s something different.
“I also get a lot of inspiration from the Cotswolds. I love visiting the area every few months and looking in the flower shops.
“My aim for Canary Wharf is to bring something similar here.”
building a dream with The Flower Club
Julia is starting small – working with one other florist and freelancers – but dreaming big.
Ultimately, her idea is to foster a community around her business by hosting workshops under the umbrella of The Flower Club.
“I know this is just opening one little shop, but I have made a business plan,” said Julia.
“I know it’s a big dream, but I’m working hard on the branding. We’re starting slowly, but I want to build that community and eventually teach other florists.
“I have an unusual style of floristry and I’d love to set up a franchise model, not just in the UK but in other countries too.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s been a journey getting to this point, but we’re almost there.
“Starting your own business lets you feel a kind of freedom compared with working for a company, but you also have to work on all aspects of the operation.
“It’s stressful because you feel like you want to control everything, but to be successful you need to do that work and be aware of every part of the business.”
One of the key drivers for The Flower Club is a mission to lessen the environmental impact of floristry.
“I try to source flowers direct from growers,” said Julia.
“There’s a wonderful farm in Surrey that I’m planning to work with this spring and summer and there’s another in Cornwall – it’s a long way, but they specialise in wild flowers, which I love.
“It’s better from a sustainability perspective to buy from UK growers because the flowers don’t travel so far and they don’t have to use chemicals to keep them fresh.
“It’s hard to say no to plastic wrapping completely, but The Flower Club is trying to minimise its use. I mainly use craft and tissue papers and biodegradeable products for my bouquets.
“For example, I use string to tie the stems together that’s made from natural materials.
“All of the bags we use in the shop will be paper too and the interior will be mostly decorated with wood and reclaimed furniture.
“It’s a small workspace, but it’s enough and it’s better to start from the ground up rather than take big risks.
“I’ve planned the layout and have made it as comfortable as possible both for workers and our customers.
“Having studied floristry, I know how to use the space professionally and it should be sufficient for our needs.
“I also want to use social media to educate people who want to know more about sourcing and also caring for flowers.
“It’s important to know how to treat the arrangements and all of my orders will have cards on how to properly care for the flowers.”
opening The Flower Club at 8 Harbord Square
While the 8 Harbord Square shop will sell fresh cut flowers and gifts, there will be two further strands to Julia’s business that emerge when she’s up and running.
“I’ll be hosting workshops for people to participate in, especially around events in the calendar,” she said.
“That might be wreath making at Christmas, for example, or creating Easter displays.
“We’ll also have a service for events, which I have a lot of experience doing.
“Clients who want something special for their tables will be able to order flower arrangements, but also tableware and decorations.
“We will be here to explore ideas and designs to make things really special.
“There are lots of options – I’m a big fan of Murano glass, for example – and we can work in private homes, private dining rooms or in restaurants depending on a client’s needs.”
key details: The Flower Club
The Flower Club is set to open soon on the ground floor of 8 Harbord Square in Wood Wharf.
Visit the business’ website for updates or follow @theflowerclub_ldn on Insta.
Find out more about the shop here
This article is sponsored by Canary Wharf Group
Read more: How Green Pioneer could be the future of decarbonised shipping
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