Caroline Bailly, who is behind the chic Buunch NYC florist, came to the world of flowers with an impressive background. Bailly trained at Switzerland’s famed Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, then relocated to New York where she worked in events for culinary icons Daniel Boulud, Geofferey Zakarianm and Olivier Guigni. She started the L’Atelier Rouge events and floral firm in 2010, and expanded with Buunch, which features a team of floral hunters who find the best seasonal flowers. We checked in with Bailly to talk about all things floral!
What inspired you to start Buunch?
L’Atelier Rouge is like our bespoke ‘couture’ line – we customize our designs for each client and event. Many of our clients have reached out to us when they want to send gifts or occasion arrangements, and it made a lot of sense for us to launch Buunch. Retail in a physical sense, especially in an urban environment like New York, is becoming more challenging. Everything has moved online because it’s much easier.
What is your philosophy behind it?
If I were to compare Floral design to Fashion, I would say that Buunch is really our pret-a-porter line. For each season we have color coded arrangements with matching designer vases, featuring the blooms of the moment.
What sets your flowers apart?
Takaya [Sato, creative floral director] and I are constantly “hunting” for amazing floral blooms. We want our clients to discover unusual flowers and new varieties. Our arrangements are changing constantly which makes our lives a little challenging, as certain species only last for a couple of weeks each season, but it is definitely worth the challenge. Also I know from personal experience that it is hard to find high end or interesting arrangements when you are sending flowers, especially when you are trying to send to someone who maybe lives in another area. The easiest flowers to find are often the most boring which is frustrating when you’re someone who knows their flowers and wants something amazing. I end up sending white roses because it’s the only safe and chic option.
Why are flowers so important to you?
It’s a passion we definitely share here at the Studio – it’s a bit like love which can be hard to explain! They are fascinating due to their perfect imperfection. We can’t help ourselves when we see something that speaks to us! As an example, today I was walking through the market and bumped into Takaya. He had the biggest smile on his face, holding a six-foot tall gigantic heliconia like a trophy. Did we need this flower for any particular project? No! But we absolutely needed to have this flower, not to sell but to enjoy for ourselves and maybe soak up some inspiring energy from it! We know for ourselves, and for our Buunch and L’Atelier Rouge clients, having flowers in a space with you brings a kind of energy that is amazing.
Where do you find inspirations for your floral arrangements?
Someone once said that there are flowers everywhere for those who can see them, and I would say just open your eyes to your surroundings! Whether it is someone you see walking down the street, an incredible artist and their work, the shape of trees against the sky or some music… Anything that can move you can inspire you.
