Camilla Callegaro, Cristina Cozzo & Lena Rasch

White Pepper Studio

Flower designer

©White Pepper Studio

Forget romanticism

Cristina, Camilla and Lena launched their studio in 2016
Their flower installations are based on colour and geometry
Their approach to flower design is unconventional and… unromantic!

Most people think that flowers are quintessentially romantic: Cristina Cozzo, Camilla Callegaro and Lena Rasch, founders of Milan-based White Pepper Studio, have a completely different vision. Even though they specialise in weddings, they wouldn’t call themselves sentimental. "If we use roses for an installation, it’s because of their shape and colours, not for their symbolism." Their style is contemporary, unconventional and definitely untraditional. They conceive their works as sculptures or paintings rather than simple flower arrangements, which is perhaps why they design every project to the last detail. "Camilla is a set designer by training, so she’s our engineer. Only if she approves an idea, can we put it into practice."

Interview

©White Pepper Studio

©White Pepper Studio

What’s the most important aspect of your work?: Lena: Colour. We like playing with contrasts, experimenting with unusual combinations, striking the right balance between warm and cool hues. We love colour so much that we often dye greenery and flowers, both fresh and dried, with spray paint, for a “pop” effect. We feel like street artists!
Is shape relevant?: Camilla: Definitely. We often open roses by hand, one by one. To us, geometry and colour are strictly connected: we always counterbalance bold colours with ethereal and light lines, soft hues with large volumes. Another rule is to use only a few species of flowers with plenty of colours, and vice versa.
Do you always agree on creative choices?: Cristina: We are very much in sync. When we have to build, say, a wedding arch, we imagine it in the same way. Even if each of us has her own tasks – Lena, for example, deals with logistics, while Camilla takes care of technical aspects – we work together to the creative aspects of our projects.
What’s the best location for a wedding?: Lena: Neither a castle nor a palace. We love industrial spaces, agricultural sheds and the like. Once we set up a wedding in a church under renovation, with the façade completely hidden by scaffolding. We loved it: the contrast with our flowers was just amazing.

Camilla Callegaro, Cristina Cozzo & Lena Rasch are rising stars: they began their career in 2016