Chelsea Neff took the leap into the floral design world in 2015 when she founded Pine New York, a company that specializes in creating unique floral arrangements for all occasions, including editorial styling and special events. She is no stranger to the fashion industry. She has done work for fashion magazines and designers, including CFDA Member Jenni Kayne. We checked in with Neff about starting her brand and what she has in store for the future.
What is one piece of advice that you would give someone who is at the start of creating a company?
Branding is EVERYTHING! Know what you want for your brand and stick to it. Branding your company well will allow you to stand out in a new market.
Why did you decide to start Pine New York?
In 2015, the best Valentine’s Day floral delivery option was overpriced roses with a few stems of baby’s breath. Yuck! So I started Pine Valentine just for fun with no business plan in mind. The idea behind Pine Valentine was to deliver a unique and very tropical floral arrangement with a custom hand-written note from the person’s “admirer.” I spread the word to friends and posted to my social media which led to 100 orders. My business quickly grew from there, and I began to dream of how to develop my floral brand Pine New York.
What moment, in your career or personal life, are you most proud of?
The day I made the paper… and not just any paper, but The New York Times! They published an article on the popularity of the Anthurium flower, interviewing me about Pine and why I love using Anthuriums. The article was printed on November 30, 2017 with two images of my floral designs and me. My dad bought 50 copies. Making him proud makes me proud!
Tell us about your most memorable project?
I get the most enjoyment out of creating floral arrangements for loved ones. A big part of my world is reaching young women and inspiring them to follow their passions and believe in themselves.
This past Valentine’s Day, I had the opportunity to create adorable floral arrangements and deliver them to a handful of girls I am close with. Surprising the girls at their schools with flowers and encouraging notes made my year.
What future goals do you have for Pine New York?
For Pine Workshop, teaching floral classes where you strip back the floral rules and/or techniques from your typical arrangement class and engage the students to allow themselves to be creative and think outside the box with what is in their hands.
For Pine Collaborations, I look forward to developing relationships with people who can further influence me and creating floral designs in collaboration with other artists and brands.
