Interwiev with florist Polina Chentsova

We talked with Polina about her creative work and the nuances of being a florist.

We first met Polina when she was teaching floristry courses at Flower School. We eagerly awaited her class, and it truly was magical.

Since the very first days of our farm, Polina has always supported us, visiting many times. During the flower season, she uses as many seasonal blooms as we and other farmers can provide. This is an invaluable contribution to the development of flower farming in Russia. It brings us endless joy to see these flowers in Polina’s hands.

We want you to learn more about Polina’s creative journey and professional growth. So, get comfortable and enjoy this interview—may it inspire you to take on new creative projects!

— What does a year in the life of a freelance florist look like? Could you describe it based on past years and the last three in particular? How do you divide your time between projects—freelance work, personal projects, set design, etc.?

— Over the past few years, my work year has looked roughly like this:

January and February are quiet, vacation months—a time to rest and, if planned properly, a great time to travel. Spring is quite active; for the past couple of years, I’ve taken orders for March 8th only from close friends and regular clients, focusing on creating bouquets for those who truly appreciate unique seasonal flowers.

Summer and early autumn are busy with personal projects, freelance work, and photoshoots. In recent years, I’ve been focusing more on my own projects and shoots, leaving just a bit of energy for freelancing with companies I love.

— What key skills should a floral designer have to be successful?

— The most important thing for me is to love what you do and have a strong desire for multifaceted growth. Without immersing yourself in art history, constantly researching archives, and staying in tune with the current cultural landscape, it’s difficult to create and communicate your vision.

Beyond that, speed, technical skills, and resourcefulness are crucial—you need to be able to achieve the desired result even when you have very little to work with.

— What is the hardest part of your profession?

— Being honest with yourself and others.

— How do you choose flowers for a specific client or project?

— Most often, there’s a brief with a specific color palette or style. If there isn’t, I rely on trends and seasonality.

— How do you attract the right clients? Do you often have to turn people down?

— I try to clearly communicate my values, which is why, over time, only “my” kind of clients reach out to me. This makes everything easier for everyone and minimizes misunderstandings and refusals. As for my portfolio, Instagram is still the best tool for me.

— How closely do you collaborate with other florists in the industry? Do you get to exchange experiences, or do most projects happen within a set circle?

— In Moscow projects, I work with colleagues, and at the beginning of my freelance career, I learned a lot from them—something I’m very grateful for. Now, I feel like we’re all on an equal footing, and we enjoy working together on each other’s projects.

— We often see you creating bridal bouquets for projects. How did that happen? What do you feel in the process? Can someone order just a wedding bouquet from you for a civil ceremony or a photoshoot?

Ordering a bouquet separately is quite an expensive pleasure, whether you order from me or from a floral studio. I rarely create bouquets on request, and most often, it’s for friends or acquaintances.

— You work a lot with farm-grown flowers. What advantages and disadvantages do you experience in your work? What would you like to change?

— I love farm flowers and see immense value in them, in the fact that there are people who start growing them. Having the opportunity to work with local flowers is very important to me. Over the past two seasons, I’ve been trying to base 70-80% of my projects on farm-grown flowers

It’s about quality, color palettes, varieties, and freshness.

As soon as the season ends, I feel like I wither and get lost, having to remind myself how to work with imported flowers again. So in 2022, I tried to extend my season and went twice to visit my friends at the Kaliningrad farm Wild Fox Garden(I call it a creative retreat).

 

— You offer individual floristry classes, and I was lucky enough to experience the atmosphere and absorb your approach to composition, flower selection, and color. Could you share who usually attends your classes? How can one sign up? And what role does this kind of learning play in your work and creativity?

— My individual classes came about from demand. A friend who had never worked with flowers before reached out, wanting to try. That resonated with me, so I carefully introduced the idea that this option was available.

For me, these one-on-one sessions are always about giving back, so I do them rarely and only for those who genuinely want them. Sometimes people wait a couple of months because I always recommend working with local flowers for the best experience.

These classes aren’t a magic pill on “how to become a super florist in one session”—they’re more about emotional immersion and tactile interaction with living materials. In a way, I’d even call it art therapy.

— Your Telegram channel is incredibly beautiful and inspiring.

What does it mean to you?

— Thank you so much :) Turns out, my Telegram channel is already five years old! I originally started it to collect my thoughts and inspirations from cinema. Then it expanded to include observations on floristry in the fashion industry, and later to everything flower-related. I document things that resonate with me, and I love that others connect with it too. It was never about chasing citations or subscriber numbers.

— I also want to ask about this past year—how has your work, mood, and client base changed?

— This year has worn us all out, but at the same time, it shook us up and made us rethink our values and our place in the world. I’ve noticeably worked less (but with higher quality) and feel that right now, it’s important to save my energy and spend time with loved ones.

Polina is currently working as a florist at MOX Bureau creating modern bouquets and interior arrangement. Additionally, a significant part of her work involves international projects focused on event decor and floral design.

TELEGRAM: @FLORALMOVIES

INSTAGRAM: @POLINA_CHE