“I’m never short of inspiration. A child’s toy, a tree, the spectacles that someone’s wearing; I really do get my inspiration from everywhere. Whereby the orchid is a particularly rich source.

Floral artist’ is the description that suits me best. Although I also design and write books. I travel the entire world for Pimdesigned to do that. I trained as a florist, but have never worked in a flower shop. That’s not my thing. It’s too busy for me, and too restrictive. The world is so much richer than just bouquets and floral arrangements. I want to tell a different story from a florist.

For example, I work with a chef to make shows which stimulate all the senses. I design dresses made from natural materials for that. Those creations are presented on the catwalk, and the audience are thereby given matching dishes. You see the dress and you taste the dress.

I designed one of those dresses entirely out of orchids. Simply because that plant intrigues me. I’m dyslectic and that’s a blessing in my business. It makes me strongly visually oriented and I look at shapes and materials differently. Orchids come in innumerable varieties and shapes, and yet they’re never the same. The independent beauty of every flower and of every branch fascinates me tremendously.

I have made two rules for myself. The first is: ‘I want to amaze myself every time’. And the second is: ‘I can make anything I can conceive, otherwise I would never have conceived it’. I’m bursting with ideas and I want to see all of them in front of me. But it’s a challenge to find the time to bring all that inspiration to life!”

Pim van den Akker
floral artist, designer, author

www.pimdesigned.nl