Holly McKinna’s passion
for all-things-floral has proven successful in her four-month old business Band
of Blooms. From floral chokers to bow ties, at 17 years old she has much to be
proud of. Holly had a chat to Everland about her Etsy-success, flower crown
inspirations, and her dreams for the remainder of an already exciting year...
How long have you been a designer for and why
did you start?I started conjuring up ideas in my head when I saw Lana Del Rey's video 'Born to die', she wore the exquisite blue flower crown which I fell in love with. I researched into the creation of Flower Crowns and learned that they have been around for a very long time and realized that this is something that I would love to do, and then I began my floral journey! They are the perfect Spring/Summer accessory for livening up any outfit and the whole reason I create these floral headpieces is to encourage freedom of expression and give women that comfort and self confidence.
How would you describe your style?My style changes all the time but it really embraces and nurtures the beauty and femininity in all women. The designs and styles are endless, I can go from small crowns to giant wreaths in a day, it's insane but I absolutely love doing it. I adore creating beautiful pieces that a woman can wear and feel good about herself, a head piece that ties together any outfit in your closet and make yourself feel magical. Each design is handmade with love.
What drives and inspires your head piece designs?
When I'm looking for something new to create I get inspiration from my back yard, the beach, gardens and flower beds. Bohemian style drives my designs so much I find myself sitting in front of a mirror wearing something from 'Tree of Life' and designing a flower crown to go with it. As I mentioned before, my inspiration would definitely be Lana Del Rey - she is a total fashion icon and I can speak for a lot of girls who look up to her when I say that she is The Queen of Flower Crowns.
In your personal opinion, how hard is it for
young designers to get their work out / get recognized these days?
In all
honesty, it was really hard for me when I first started to get my work
recognized, because I did have some negativity from other Floral Head wear
designers but I stayed with the course that I have set myself and I've overcome
that - now have a nice following of loyal customers. As soon as I started my
business I created a Facebook page, an Instagram account and started an Etsy
shop, and begun promoting my business through my personal social media
accounts. My family and friends started to help me out. I have become much more
confident with my work and making myself well known, I just had to believe in
myself and my designs and hope that someone would like them!
What have been some of your highlights so
far?
There are countless things that have made me so happy and proud to be a
young designer but my biggest highlight would be making my first appearance at
'The Village Markets' in Burleigh on the Gold Coast. I'd never featured my
designs at a market before, and that feeling of someone coming over to my stall
and trying a few head pieces on made me very excited. I will be making more
appearances at TVM and hopefully broadening out to different markets down in New
South Wales and up in Brisbane. What are your future goals, how do you see yourself taking your work further?
My future goals are having my pieces in little Boutiques, Magazines, Fashion Shows and Blogs such as this one! Floral Headpieces are becoming more popular each year and it's exciting to be a part of this design industry. In a few years time I'd love to be doing what I am now but on a larger scale and have the chance to showcase my designs in different areas of the country. In the distant future, I’ll hopefully travel around the world. I'm still so young, but I know there will be many events that will soon take place for me and I cannot wait for them to happen.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bandofblooms
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