BUSY BEES AT THE BUSY BLOOM: Fleur Couture brings fashion, florals and community together in Wilmington
- Sewit Mesfen
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 44 minutes ago
Wilmington’s creative scene is preparing for an unusual and highly anticipated collision of disciplines with Fleur Couture, a fashion show where florals take center stage—not just as decoration, but as wearable art. At the heart of the event is florist and entrepreneur Amanda Adkins, owner of The Busy Bloom, whose vision blends floral design, fashion and community into a single immersive experience.
We met on a warm afternoon at The Busy Bloom. The moment I stepped inside my senses settled. Lavender and mixed floral scents drift through the air. Everywhere I looked, there was color and texture: a scattering of disco balls (several, in fact), delightfully clashing patterned wallpaper, and, of course, a wall of flowers. A rack of vibrant clothing caught my eye, along with a neon sign that reads: Design Your Own Jewelry, Hats, Bags, & More. Amanda explains that she shares the space with Tiny Weld, owned by fellow entrepreneur Heather Procknal.
We take a seat at a café table in front of a tea bar where The Busy Bloom serves herbal tea. In a city with no shortage of coffee shops, the focus here feels intentional—offering calming herbal blends in an equally calming space.
The space’s thoughtful curation and cohesion might suggest a straightforward story, but Amanda’s path to floristry was anything but linear. Before opening The Busy Bloom, she worked as a clinical manager in healthcare while nurturing a long-standing personal connection to nature, gardening, and education. She previously taught children about local flora and fauna through a nonprofit in North Carolina, leading hikes, identifying plants and wildlife, and even guiding nighttime nature experiences.
That connection deepened during a period of burnout, when returning home to her garden became a restorative ritual. Growing flowers from seed eventually evolved into a creative outlet that she found both grounding and transformative. “Flowers have always been there for me… I could come back, put my hands in the dirt, grow something beautiful, and feel normal again.”
After years of occasionally designing wedding florals on the side, she took a leap, first experimenting with a small flower cart built by her husband, then transitioning fully into floristry. In fact, the tea bar we’re sitting next to features a striped backdrop, an homage to the umbrella on the flower cart from those early days.
Her business journey included a brief stint at a mall kiosk, an experience she describes candidly as unsuccessful. These adventures ultimately led her to a shipping container space in Wilmington’s Cargo District. There, she met fellow business owner Heather, and the two later moved into their current shared space, where The Busy Bloom has continued to grow since September.
Amanda describes her philosophy as making flowers accessible to everyone, offering single stems, small bundles, and transparent pricing to remove barriers that often intimidate customers. “We wanted flowers to be for everyone, not just people who can afford luxury.” That same inclusivity and approachability carries into Fleur Couture.
The fashion show was born from Amanda’s desire to create something meaningful for the local creative community while also showcasing the artistry of florists in a new way.
At its core, Fleur Couture is a fashion show but with a twist; instead of traditional garments, floral designers will construct live, wearable floral pieces on models the day of the show. These designs will be built in real time, using perishable materials, requiring both creativity and technical precision under pressure.
Amanda describes the concept as a “collision of fashion and floristry”— an opportunity to highlight how interconnected different creative disciplines can be. Florists have to understand which flowers and natural elements are in season and can be utilized for this show. “We’re thinking about physics, engineering, weight distribution. Florists are basically professional Tetris players.”
These concerns are heightened for the florists as they plan to style their models to deliver their pieces down the runway. It’s one thing to display a piece as an arch or create the centerpieces for fabulous celebrations, it's another to imagine your creation traveling through an interactive space.
Fleur Couture is designed to be a multi-sensory experience that emphasizes engagement, pacing, and surprise. Amanda emphasized that the pacing of the show is intentionally slower than a typical fashion runway. With approximately 15 models and multiple designers involved, the event is structured to allow guests to fully absorb each look while also creating moments of interaction whether it’s a beach ball passed through the audience or flowers shared directly with attendees.
However, she describes the overall vibe as high-energy, expressive, and celebratory. Rather than leaning into a quiet or nature-only aesthetic, the event embraces boldness and performance reflecting what she sees as the intersection of artistry across mediums.
Attendees can expect:
Live floral design in action as designers construct looks on-site
A slow, interactive runway format, where models engage with the audience rather than simply walking past
Audience participation elements, such as props passed between models and guests
A live painter, Katie, who will create artwork inspired by the runway looks in real time
A DJ and MC, including Heather, contributing to a high-energy atmosphere
A mid-show intermission with access to a bar and time to mingle
Floral-inspired signature drinks, developed in collaboration with local partners
A diverse lineup of models, representing a range of ages, backgrounds, and abilities
One of the defining aspects of Fleur Couture is its collaborative nature. The event brings together multiple floral designers, including emerging talent and established local businesses such as Bristol and Birch, Arranging Sunlight, and The Pearl and the Petal.
Amanda has intentionally kept the structure flexible, allowing designers to contribute at their own capacity rather than imposing strict requirements. This openness has resulted in a diverse group of participants, including newer designers, experienced wedding florists, and creatives launching their first major projects.
The show also serves as a platform for connection between designers, models, artists, and the broader community. Amanda hopes it will highlight not only the artistry involved in floristry but also the complexity behind the craft, from logistics and environmental considerations to engineering-like challenges in constructing wearable pieces. “We’re not making dresses weeks in advance. We’re building wearable art out of something that’s alive.”
Sequins from a gorgeous jumpsuit frame Amanda’s smile as she talks about Fleur Couture and her pride in her fellow adventurous florists. While the concept is a challenge, “You can’t cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
For Amanda, Fleur Couture represents more than a single event—it’s a milestone in her journey as both a creative and a business owner. It reflects her roots in performance arts, her background in education, and her evolution into a florist who sees flowers as both medium and message.
She hopes attendees leave with a new appreciation for floristry, not just as decorative work, but as a demanding and multidimensional craft. More broadly, the event is intended to foster community, inspire collaboration, and open doors for future creative projects in Wilmington.
With its blend of live design, interactive elements, and cross-disciplinary artistry, Fleur Couture is positioned to be a distinctive and memorable addition to the local creative calendar—and potentially the beginning of an annual tradition.
Fleur Couture will take place on April 17 at 7 p.m. at Azalea Station. To learn more about Fleur Couture and its stylists, follow @thebusybloomco on Instagram. Find tickets at The Busy Bloom website thebusybloomco.com
