HAMISH POWELL
- 5' ELEVEN''
- 41 minutes ago
- 3 min read
“Plants have always been my thing; it was never a conscious decision to follow the green. I just germinated that way.” Says Hamish Powell. His background in Botanical Science may have left him with a great knowledge of plants, but also with a good sense of humour, it seems. “I’ve always been someone who notices plants in everyday life, not just in gardens but growing through cracks in pavements or on the edges of fields. Studying botanical science gave me a deeper understanding of what I was already drawn to. It helped me see plants not just as something beautiful, but as intelligent, adaptable and full of character.”
Interview by Leigh Maynard.
Hamish Powell wears CHANEL Le Lift Flash Eye Patches. Photographed by Max Ragan. Styled by Alton Hetariki. Makeup by Ninni Nummela using CHANEL Beauty. Hair by Masaki Kameda. Hamish appears courtesy of Storm Management.
What began as a Saturday job in a florist shop began to take shape into his current work, after Hamish further explored the craft on Instagram and discovered the potential of floristry and work with plants.“This was my first time exploring a creative medium that felt attached to my soul. Fashion and art felt like spaces where flowers could be expressive, playful and sometimes unexpected.” Inspiration came from artists like Ai Wei. “The concept of this kind of intricacy and repetition was mind blowing to me, and I think it’s been a valuable seed in my brain for the very repetitive nature of my work’s production.” Hamish also takes inspiration from Marina Abramovic. “As a six-year-old, I didn’t really understand the meaning of her work, but I noticed the dedication and devotion to art, and I think I absorbed it. I also have a deep respect for traditions that treat placement as philosophy. Ikebana, especially when you look at more contemporary Sogetsu work, is a constant reminder that negative space is not empty, it is active. Another floral reference I often think about is Constance Spry - she gave floristry permission to be expressive. She used whatever was around her, hedgerow flowers, moss, bark, vegetables, and made it feel radical. That idea of working intuitively and trusting material is something I return to again and again.”
One of the highlights of Hamish’s work to date was hiring his first employee. “Until then, everything had lived very much inside my own hands and head. Bringing someone else into the studio made the work feel real in a different way. It was about building something that could support other people, creativity and livelihoods. That moment marked a shift from working alone to growing a studio, and it is something I am still deeply proud of.”
As he works on his own projects, Hamish asks his clients to look beyond aesthetics and question the deeper meanings flowers can represent. “The goal is always to create something that feels true to the client, but still unmistakably my own.” And he says that it is his installations that resonate most, because they allow people to really step into the work. “My true calling in life is that of nature proselytisation. I think I exist to spread love for plants, to spread awareness, so bringing people into my world as closely as possible always feels the most rewarding. I want the work to exist beyond events and moments, to live in galleries, institutions and longer form contexts where people can spend time with it. That might mean installations, exhibitions, film, or work that evolves over weeks rather than hours. Ultimately, it is about giving botanical work the space and seriousness it deserves, without losing its sense of life and impermanence.”
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