Presenting

Florist Spotlight 10 July | 2021 Jean-Pascal Lemire Jean-Pascal Florist Los Angeles, Calif. I had the pleasure recently of spending an evening Zooming with the talented floral designer Jean-Pascal Lemire. He gave me a full Zoom tour of his exquisite boutique in downtown Los Angeles as he generously shared his struggles and hard-learned lessons in the business of floristry. From the flower-filled sidewalk to the meticulously organized and methodically sourced retail interior, his store feels more like an artist studio than a traditional flower shop. Bright yellow lacquered bookcases line the walls, showcasing handcrafted vases, candles, books and a variety of decorative accessories, while the central anchor of the store, a large counter, serves as a stage where Lemire creates his fabulous Instagram-gold designs. Raised in a small town in Canada, Lemire immersed himself in the arts as a child. He says he always gravitated to the "finer things" and yearned for the bright lights of the big city. Starting in the event-planning industry, Lemire eventually transitioned into flowers, opening his first flower shop in 2010. A couple of years later, e Ritz-Carlton Montreal offered him an opportunity to open a shop in the hotel. While he had a fabulous boutique in a glitzy location, contract restrictions precluded him from making any discernible profit on events in the hotel. He ended up worked long hours with demanding clientele for little return. After Lemire met his husband, the couple decided to take a leap of faith and move to L.A. in 2017 and start over. Lemire didn't immediately rush into a new shop; in fact, he started out with just one referral from a friend. He worked at restaurants and started his flower business by word-of-mouth, until he opened his new boutique last year. I found Lemire especially astute in his approach to retail. He says he always tries to get customers to touch something in the store. Once they have picked up something , they are hooked, he assures. He understands that people are shy in retail situations, so he engages them by telling them little stories about some of his more unusual items, thereby giving them permission to become part of his environment. His understanding of retail, from sidewalk curb appeal to storytelling, combined with his practical yet brilliant floral designs will, no doubt, make his shop a resounding success for years to come. By Jules Lewis Gibson

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