Mandarin Design Lab

Mandarin Design Lab is the brainchild of Sofia and Victoria Avila, who are floral designers who have a passion for flowers. Among the many beautiful arrangements you may have noticed at the W Hotel in Austin and the flowers for the annual Ballet Austin's Fete are those created by this team of florists. It goes without saying that being in the event and design business means being prepared to put together almost anything. On the occasion of his wife's birthday, one of their regular customers wanted to literally shower her with roses. Sofia describes the dinner as follows: "They were having it at a private residence, and we provided flowers for the two long tables." The ceilings, on the other hand, were two or three stories high. We had to bring scaffolding into the space in order to construct a structure where it rained roses and rose petals all the way down the table, followed by more roses on the table and more petals on top of the table. It was very romantic, dramatic, and out of the ordinary. It took almost a week to sew everything together, including all of the petals. We had a crew on site who was able to assist." Ballet Austin is one of the organizations that the Avila sisters hold dear to their hearts. Sofia goes on to say, "The work they do for our city by bringing the arts to the community is simply extraordinary." Sofia continues, They're a pleasure to work with, and the entire staff at Ballet Austin has made us feel like we've been a part of their family for many years. We have a fantastic collaborative creative process going on. It's just so much fun to be a part of their team!" The sisters truly possess a one-of-a-kind talent that is difficult to come by. In response to the question of what advice they have for those interested in learning how to arrange flowers, Victoria responds, "I know this is going to sound really strange, but flowers communicate with you. All flowers have a distinct shape or curve; rather than fighting it, learn to work with it. Instead of forcing the flower into a specific position, observe and "listen" to how they would like to be displayed," says the author.