Over the last 10 years, Lelian Chew, the founder of The Floral Atelier (TFA), has championed an understanding of flowers that looks beyond the physical. Not merely tangible manifestations of beauty, flowers are deeply poetic symbols that mirror life’s cycles of joy, growth and remembrance.
In service of this vision, Chew and her team at The Atelier & Co., which manages The Wedding Atelier and TFA, have spent the past decade crafting elevated luxury experiences for all occasions. Their work has featured in sumptuous Michelin-starred dining rooms and gleaming flagship boutiques—as well as any space where human connection might take root and flourish, from birthdays and weddings to anniversaries and farewells.
Chew’s skilled team of artisans, designers and events professionals are peerless storytellers, capable of turning the humblest of imaginations into the grandest of realities. It is only fitting, then, that TFA’s 10th-anniversary celebration, A Decade in Bloom, takes place at 72-13. On 17 October (12-8pm) and 18 October (12-6pm), The Floral Atelier invites the public to witness its boldest expression of floral artistry to date.
A Decade in Bloom is more than an exhibition—it is a tribute to the timeless beauty of flowers and a testament to TFA’s enduring influence as a tastemaker shaping Asia’s luxury floral culture. 10 immersive installations invite guests to experience worlds of wonder, provenance and imagination, each accompanied by cinematic storytelling elements, including the debut of The Journey of a Bloom—a poetic short film tracing the path of each precious stem from Holland to Singapore. In fact, TFA’s own journey is far from over, with its upcoming launch in Hong Kong marking a new milestone that extends its vision of floral luxury and elevated gifting to a new market.
Guests can also look forward to taking home The Floral Atelier’s signature creation, the Bloom Box, alongside a curated portfolio of luxury gifts. This includes an exclusive edible collaboration with French pâtissier Cédric Grolet, whose artistry echoes TFA’s own commitment to refinement and craftsmanship.
Ahead of this momentous occasion, we sat down with Lelian Chew to explore the philosophy behind her work—and sneak a peek at what lies down the road for The Floral Atelier.
Congratulations on your 10th-year anniversary! What does this milestone mean to you and the team at The Floral Atelier?
It’s been humbling and deeply moving. Despite the fleeting nature of flowers, they’ve allowed us to create something lasting, through moments of authentic beauty and connection. I’m proud of the technical craft, but the heart of it all belongs to the people—clients who have trusted us with their time, my team who’ve poured love and craft into every detail and, of course, the community who has embraced our work and believed in our vision.
What makes your work stand out in the luxury flower industry?
Flowers are more than just decorations—they are vessels for creativity, emotion and heritage. Our commitment to quality begins with provenance, intentionally sourcing rare and exceptional blooms from the world’s finest growers to tell compelling stories. What we do with each of these blooms, then, is a special opportunity to honour the beauty of nature while elevating it to something truly extraordinary. We want to champion the craft in Asia, but also look to redefine the art form itself.
How do you think the notion of luxury helps contribute to a life well-lived?
True luxury has never been about excess, but intentionality. It’s about choosing meaning in the moments that matter most. Flowers are the perfect example of this. In that sense, luxury can serve as an antidote to the constant, unrelenting pace of life, inviting us to slow down, savour and appreciate the artistry and beauty that surrounds us. A life well-lived is not measured by how much we have, but by how deeply we experience the details.
What does the future hold for Lelian Chew and The Floral Atelier?
For the immediate future, we’re thrilled about the launch of TFA Hong Kong. In many ways, it’s a homecoming—we began 12 years ago in Hong Kong with The Wedding Atelier. Marking the 10th anniversary of The Floral Atelier feels like a full-circle moment, a celebration of how far we have come and a powerful motivation to continue expanding our vision.
Looking ahead, we aim to push the boundaries of floral artistry—to craft experiences that elevate flowers beyond their fleeting beauty. Our goal is for TFA to leave its mark on every space where connection and inspiration can bloom, transforming moments through artistry, design and imagination.
