A Floral Farewell
And that’s a wrap for 2024! It’s hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by, taking us on yet another incredible journey around the world to meet so many inspiring women and hear their personal stories.
To close out the year, we had the pleasure of speaking with Annett Kuhlmann, co-founder of the Marsano flower boutique. We caught up with her at their elegant shop, surrounded by candles, flowers, and, of course, the wonderful WAA community.
With a background as a professional photographer, studies in interior design at Saint Martins in London, and training in floristry in Berlin, Annett is a true creative who channels her artistry through a diverse range of mediums and talents.
Organizing her life through tangible visual expression, Annett reflected on the beginning of her creative journey in photography, admitting she feels she is “not so beautiful with words” – a statement you’ll soon realise couldn’t be further from the truth! She applies this sentiment to her relationship with flowers and interior design, always choosing to express herself through physical beauty.
“There are so many ways to express what you want to say with flowers.”
Pursuing her true passion led Annett to a career as a florist, working with flowers and embracing their artistry. To this day, Annett firmly believes that success starts with believing in yourself and emphasised to the room the importance of having confidence in your passion and trusting that this self-belief will bring you closer to achieving your goals.
“This is what we do at Masano, we follow our hearts. When we don’t feel it anymore, we leave it.”
It was in London where her passion for floristry truly began to blossom. There, she prepared stunning bunches and bouquets for celebrities, including peonies for Madonna and flowers for Hugh Grant’s bedroom. Reflecting on this time of her life, Annett spoke fondly about how London allowed her to break free from the traditional German "educational" approach to floristry, embracing a mindset rooted in creativity and spontaneity instead.
“In London I learnt that you are only as professional as your last job.”
After moving back to Berlin, Annett began working at the flower shop Marsano alongside her now co-founders, Katrin Jahn and Andreas Namysl. The trio later purchased the shop in 2005, building on its rich history that dates back to 1905, when it was originally founded by Mr. Marsano in Switzerland. Together, they have worked tirelessly, pouring their hearts into rejuvenating and redefining the Marsano brand for the generations to come.
“As people we are so different, and this is why it works.”
Now, after an impressive 19 years together, the bond between Annett, Katrin and Andreas is unbreakable. It's the beauty of their differences that keeps both their friendship and professionalism strong and harmonious, and despite nearly two decades of working together, Annett was proud to mention that they've never had an argument.
It’s this harmonious yet diverse partnership that sets Marsano apart when working with brands in Berlin and beyond – something the shop has become well-known and respected for. Speaking about their clients, Annett was keen to emphasise the importance of creating unique and engaging projects with those they believe in, focusing solely on fostering mutual trust and collaboration with partners who share the same values and ethics.
“We decide which brands we work with by how they treat their team, their resources. We like to work with good people.”
With the audience eager to know where she finds her creative spark, Annett revealed that creativity is all around her—from fashion and art to travel. Everything inspires her and influences her work, and it is by combining these ideas with her deep knowledge of her craft, that she creates bespoke pieces that are born from personal inspiration.
“With flowers you can never get bored. It’s about your senses and every flower is different.”
As the final live podcast of the year drew to a close, Annett shared her belief in following intuition, encouraging the audience to trust their instincts when buying flowers for loved ones. She advised us all to "follow your heart" when picking flowers, reminding us that it doesn’t have to be the most expensive bouquet in the shop, and that sometimes it’s the simple gestures that truly touch the heart. In a sweet moment, she then warmly described the bouquet she would curate for WAA host Daria. A truly touching moment for everyone in the room!
Annett closed the evening by revealing her personal favorite color palette: red in the center, like the heart, with everything radiating outward from it. "It’s the Marsano family," she said with a smile.
We'd like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our amazing partners who helped create such wonderful goodie bags for all the audience members. A big thank you to Marsano, OKITA, Los Angeles Cold Press, JACKS Beauty Line, Sawade Berlin, and The O Collection.
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