Pretty Dirty

Melanie Cecilia Stapleton is the founder of Cecilia Fox, a creative floral studio. She began her career in floristry at the age of 16 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Moving to London and working under some of the city’s most renowned florists, she found her love of event work. In 2004, she founded Cecilia Fox in Melbourne, Australia, and quickly gained a reputation for her creative and experimental botanical work. Growing to become one of Australia’s most influential florists, her work has graced large-scale events and weddings at Australia’s most sought-after events and venues. Dedicated to the growth and success of her industry, Mel turned her attention to how her work and the flower world could be more sustainable.

Mel creates dreamscapes of nature in the form of botanical arrangements and installations, seeking beauty in the unlikely and the untamed. A deep respect for the past, present and future of the natural world informs every element of her designs. Her studio is now based in her native home of Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand, where she holds floral workshops in addition to her floral design work.