Joanne Flowers | Damsel & Sprout | Netflix | Kylie Minogue
Some jobs land in your inbox and you just know they're going to be fun. This was one of them.
When we were asked to create the florals for a Netflix event, the Canberra preview of the Kylie Minogue documentary, held at Parliament House, we said yes before we'd even finished reading the brief. A pop icon. A national landmark. A room full of people about to watch her story unfold on screen. It felt like exactly the kind of moment flowers should rise to.
The creative concept and overall direction for the event were led by the brilliant team at Damsel and Sprout, and we loved being part of their vision. It's always a joy working alongside a team who knows exactly what story they want a room to tell. We came on board to bring the floral side of that vision to life.
The Brief: Bold, Glamorous, Unmistakably Kylie
There was really only one colour palette that made sense: pink and red, head to toe. Kylie's world has always been about confidence and colour, so anything soft or muted just wasn't going to cut it. We wanted the room to feel like it was announcing itself the second guests walked in.
The centrepiece of the whole design was a floral backdrop standing 2.4 metres tall. Full, lush, and completely floral from top to bottom, with no gaps and no filler, just flowers doing all the talking. It's the kind of structure that takes real planning to get right. At that height, everything has to be secure, everything has to be balanced, and it all has to look effortless despite the engineering happening behind the scenes.
Why We Love Projects Like This
Most of our days are spent on weddings and everyday arrangements, and we love that work. It's the heart of what we do. But every so often, a project like this comes along and reminds our team why we got into florals in the first place. There's something wonderful about being handed a big, bold idea and being trusted to bring it to life at scale.
Parliament House isn't just any venue, either. Working within a space that carries that much history, while still delivering something as vibrant and modern as this brief called for, was a balancing act we genuinely enjoyed.
The Details That Made It Work
Full floral backdrops are deceptively hard. It's not simply about having enough stems. It's about density, structure, and making sure the piece holds its shape and colour for the entire event. We built the frame first, then worked in layers, blending deep reds through to soft blush pinks so the eye moves naturally across the whole piece rather than landing on one flat block of colour.
The result was a backdrop that photographed beautifully but felt even better in person, the kind of thing people stop in front of before they've even said hello to anyone.
Bringing That Same Energy to Your Event
A huge thank you again to Damsel and Sprout for the vision and the trust to bring it to life. Projects like this are always better as a team effort.
Whether it's a corporate launch, a milestone celebration, or a wedding that calls for something a little more show stopping, we bring the same care to every brief, big or small. If you're picturing something bold for your next event in Canberra, we'd love to hear about it.
Get in touch with our team at Joanne Flowers of Manuka to start the conversation.
