For years, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings faced the same issue when looking to order flowers. In an era when more are shopping online, it was still extremely challenging to find chic, single stem flowers in a no-fuss way. And so, in 2015, she founded FLOWERBX in London, challenging the mixed bouquet delivery system and, in the process, disrupting the way flowers are ordered and bought.

Bromberg Hawkings is no stranger to fashion – far from it. Before she started FLOWERBX, she spent 19 years working for Tom Ford, first at Gucci and later at the CFDA Chairman’s namesake brand, where she rose to Senior Vice President of Communications.

With support from powerhouse investors like Natalie Massenet and Carmen Busquets, and several fashion collaborations and a pop up at Tiffany & Co., Bromberg Hawkings’ flowers have become a fashion favorite.

We caught up the the executive to discuss flowers, fashion influences, and the future.

What inspired you to launch FLOWERBX?

After working for Tom Ford for 19 years and feeling frustrated with the cost and inconsistency of the flowers I was buying and sending, I wanted to create a branded floral offering. Also, as a working mom, I buy everything online. My weekly groceries are from Farmdrop, my clothes from Net-a-Porter or Matches.com, I buy my beauty online and everything else from Amazon. Flowers were the one thing I couldn’t buy in a simple, chic way, online either for myself or to send to others.

I am happy that the concept and solution has resonated with so many people, so quickly and that the growth has been so significant.

Describe the FLOWERBX philosophy. What differentiates it from others?

What differentiates us from other florists is that we are buying and selling flowers in a completely new way. We have eschewed traditional bouquets stuffed with filler for single varietal bunches of one type of flower. Our unique negative working capital business model means we only order flowers that you have purchased already, so they are cut to order, and delivered to the customer the day that we receive them. This eliminates any waste, making it more sustainable than the traditional florist model, and allows us to offer flowers that are days fresher at a fraction of the price of other florists.

We are also creating what I see as the first international floral brand with the consistency of product, quality and image that have become synonymous with luxury fashion and so many other industries but never before been applied to floristry on a global level.

How has your fashion background informed FLOWERBX?

I have applied all of the principles that I learned working in luxury fashion to FLOWERBX; from creating a recognizable and desirable brand, associating it with the most exciting adjacent companies and people, ensuring consistency and quality, and addressing a global audience.

Of all the flowers, which one do you consider the chicest and why?

One of the greatest things about working with flowers is their inherent seasonality. In the spring, I can’t get enough of peonies, but as I start to tire of peonies (if that’s even possible), dahlias are back with a bang, leading us to late summer when we see the re-emergence of hydrangeas in bright beautiful hues. So, I don’t have a favourite flower, but my favourite way to make a statement for a centrepiece is to group a bunch of one type of seasonal flower together – the more the better. I also usually tend to keep things tonal, and with these rules in mind, it is hard to go wrong.

Describe the perfect flower arrangement. What sentiments should it exude?

I think it’s hard to go wrong when bunching single stem flowers together, regardless of the bloom. If you feel compelled to mix flowers, it’s a good rule of thumb to keep things tonal.

You worked for CFDA Chairman Tom Ford for many years. What is the most valuable lesson you took away from the experience for and how did it play into FLOWERBX?

I couldn’t have learned from a better teacher how to build a successful, recognizable and powerful brand – but this was just one of the many lessons I learned during my time working for Tom. He taught me the importance of hard work and perseverance but also about the art of creating desire, and I have applied all of these learnings to FLOWERBX.

You’ve partnered with numerous designers here in the U.S., and recently launched on the East Coast. What does the future hold for FLOWERBX?

I keep pinching myself at the amazing brands we have had the fortune to work with on the East Coast. From our holiday façade at the Mark Hotel and global send out for Prada to our pop-up store at Tiffany & Co. for Valentine’s Day, I am so happy that the brand has resonated so quickly with American luxury brands. We are now launching on the West Coast in September and then across the entire U.S. by Q1 2021, solidifying our foothold as the first global flower brand.