FLORAL designer Kate Jordan is celebrating a summer of growth with her flourishing business and a diverse portfolio of creative work spanning TV, fashion, and large-scale installations.
Kate, from Tremeirchion near St Asaph – creative force behind The Craft Shed Flowers – is no stranger to the spotlight.
A former student at Coleg Cambria, she created the winner’s crown for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! when it was filmed at Gwrych Castle in Abergele, and her floral artistry has appeared on a range of TV programmes including Hollyoaks, The Responder, Songs of Praise and S4C drama Rownd a Rownd.
This summer, Kate brought her trademark creativity to a new partnership with the 12,500-acre Rhug Estate, near Corwen, where she designed and installed floral displays for the café and farm shop.
“It’s been such a privilege to work with Rhug Estate. They’ve given me the freedom to really showcase my creativity, and the team has been so supportive of my ideas,” she said.
“To see people stopping to take photos and smiling as they walk through the space has been incredibly rewarding.
“I’m also really looking forward to leading a wreath-making workshop at the Estate in November, using traditional floristry techniques to inspire creativity within the community.”
Estate owner Lord Newborough praised her work and believes the incredible displays have “transformed the atmosphere”, bringing a burst of colour and creativity.
“We’ve had so many wonderful comments from customers who say the flowers make their experience here even more special,” he said.
“Kate has such a talent for combining contemporary flair with the natural beauty of the countryside, and we are delighted to be working with her.
“We can’t wait to see what she creates for the autumn and Christmas seasons – it’s a real pleasure to have her artistry here at Rhug Estate.”
Kate’s career path has been as unique as her designs. A former pupil of Ysgol Bodfari and St Brigid’s School in Denbigh, she trained in floristry at Northop before completing a degree in Fashion, Retail, Branding and Visual Merchandising at London College of Fashion.
She honed her eye for high-end display design while working with Ralph Lauren, before going on to be part of a group which secured a gold medal at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show – Chelsea in Bloom for a H&M installation.
Kate’s international experience includes large-scale projects in Paris, Normandy, and a willow installation for Denver Art Museum with artist Laura Ellen Bacon.
Today, she seamlessly balances her floral business, large creative concepts for high-end clients – The Ivy and Selfridges Oxford Street among them – and television work.
At home in North Wales, she thanked her proud parents and is passionate about bringing a city-inspired design sensibility to local projects, blending contemporary style with the natural beauty of the Welsh landscape.
This year Kate has worked as production designer on two shows for the BBC and S4C set to air later this year and her ultimate dream is to combine her floral artistry and set design skills on a major movie production.
“Working with Rhug Estate has been such a joy, especially being able to create something so special on my doorstep,” she said.
“The ethical and sustainability side is also important to me, especially when flowers are reused and repurposed.”
Kate added: “My passion has always been about transforming spaces and evoking emotion, whether that’s for a local workshop, a luxury retailer, or a TV set.
“I’m really enjoying weaving together my career in both TV and floristry – two worlds that inspire me in different ways but complement each other perfectly. I can’t wait to see what the future brings.”
