in the fields with Sophie of Muscari.

by Greer Lawrence December 16, 2021

photographed by Rachel Kara. words by Leonie Marsh.

Sophie Rothwell is elegant and soft. But also strongly focused and deeply thoughtful about how she navigates her floristry business, Muscari. “It’s definitely quality over quantity for me,” she muses, “I want to work with venues and clients with shared styles and aligned aesthetics.” It’s a very considered and respectful approach, and one that’s paying off as we move into a busy Summer with life opening up once more.

If you love beautiful things, then you’ve probably noticed a Muscari arrangement around town. Sophisticated and graceful, the name Muscari comes from a flower that is uniquely delicate and “…not very well known… it’s mysterious and that’s why I like it. The colours are all those blue / grape / purple-ish tones’,” Sophie explains. Regular clients include Milton’s Van Rensburg Galleries and Comunete.

Born and bred on the South Coast, Sophie began her education at Milton Public School. The family then moved further south to Rosedale when she was around eight years old. After finishing school and completing a TAFE course, “… at that time it was very hard to get a foot in the door without qualifications,” Sophie moved to Sydney “to have some fun!” It was there she began her first job under Susan Avery in Woollahra - one of the city’s top florists, “It was a wonderful place to learn, we did eight weddings a week and it particularly taught me a lot about navigating the flower markets.”

Rothwell went on to work alongside and collaborate with various industry heavyweights including My Violet which gave Sophie many a career highlight including a location wedding at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, “We did a lot of foraging for that one. The markets over there are run on an auction system so it was quite challenging in that respect. We also did a Tiffany + Co job together at a beautiful heritage house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with waves of cascading irises spilling out from everywhere even the fireplace, which the guests walked through… the irises matching the signature scent.”

“But the plan was always to move back here [to the coast]. I love this lifestyle.” So two years ago, move back she did, right before covid first hit, “it was an interesting time to relocate...” Sophie smiles, but she most definitely made use of the bonus time, “all my work dried up instantly – no weddings or events so I tried to network, to meet likeminded locals and introduce myself to venues with similar style. How on earth did she navigate that when everyone was in lockdown? “I would go wandering and when I noticed a beautiful garden I admired I’d leave a note in their letterbox, saying I love your garden and maybe we could meet and have a wander. I had such a wonderful response to my letters.” It’s such a romantic and lasting method of meeting people that I have to stop myself from sighing wistfully as I listen to her kind and grounded approach, “I’ve met some wonderful new friends; having a cup of tea and discussing their plants. And of course, now I know who has what when I might need to call on them and buy a bucket of chrysanthemums or whatever it may be…thank you Dulcie!”)

This was exactly how Sophie came to meet Greer of Comunete. Greer recounts, “I think the store had been open about two days when Sophie messaged me to introduce herself. She came in with the most stunning single orchid stem wrapped in white paper and we instantly connected.” It’s these moments of raw intuition Sophie creates which makes her work so special. That image of an orchid stem in a vase is now the signature of Comunete itself, “I’ve printed cards with that image, used it for social media, it’s hugely popular” says Greer. Sophie recalls her side of the story “I think I walked past the store and instantly loved the feel of the space; it’s clean and clear, minimal but tasteful. I love what Greer has created.”

Greer mentions that any time there are Muscari flowers in the store, customers gush – “the Mother’s Day flowers Sophie created for us this year were outstanding and so popular, our customers were really moved by her work."

“I love bold statements. I prefer not to have too many rules, in terms of colour palette or texture, and I love a bit of quirk, something perhaps a bit off – but I am always influenced by what that particular job might be.” Floral styling, local and destination weddings (she once did a wedding in Sydney and LA on the same day), events, corporate, editorial and collaboration are all on offer and you get the feeling Rothwell loves the variety and yearns for it after two years of lockdown.

“I like a bit of mystery – that sense of who is Muscari and where is she based… I can work locally or internationally, both are equally challenging and exciting. If I got an email from a bride in Tamworth I would be thinking great, let’s do a country wedding…”

Destination weddings are particularly challenging and therefore a favourite for Sophie; the sourcing of flowers from the local markets makes for wonderful stories, “I once did a friend’s wedding in Bogotá in a run-down art gallery. That was very challenging; learning to work with the Columbians at their markets, it’s a different pace; very casual with no real timeframes so that job was demanding but equally rewarding.”

I wonder how being regional has impacted Sophie creatively speaking, “well it’s definitely put a positive spin on my creativity – due to our location it’s that much harder to get to the flower markets so I have to be flexible and open, always thinking on my feet. I love that challenge. Being regional has been a great thing for me, it makes me think a little harder, broadens my perspective and there’s a greater emphasis on face to face working and therefore a deeper connection with people.”

Sophie wears the copenhagen dress in white and the origami dress in black by st agni. available at comunete.

Visit Sophie’s website here and follow her Instagram here.