Maurice Harris, florist to the stars (did we mention Beyoncé yet?), is a Los Angeles-based artist best known as the visionary behind Bloom & Plume, a bespoke floral design studio located in Echo Park. Maurice's unique point of view, sense of humor, craftsmanship and dedication to his community has made him both one of the most sought-after floral designers in Los Angeles, and one of the most followed florists on Instagram. Most recently, you can see him on his TV show, Centerpiece, on Quibi and HBO Max’s floral competition series, Full Bloom.
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1. What is your idea of the perfect flower arrangement? An arrangement that has movement, balance, multiple textures, and has that magical touch where every time I look at it, I see a new detail.
2. How did you get started in the floral industry? I watched my grandmother make arrangements as a child and I fell into it as an adult. Making bouquets and arrangements for friends turned into a full-on career.
3. If not a florist, what would be your fallback profession? If they were paid more fairly, I would love to be a grocery store checker and bagger, because I love playing Tetris in real life.
4. What is your most treasured possession? My creativity.
5. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? The word “literally” and the phrase “two things”—whether there are four, five or ten things.
6. Where do you find inspiration outside the flower world? My eyes are always open. From the way homeless tent cities are put together with found materials, or what’s walking down the Paris runways, there is beauty to be found in all of it.
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? For my torso to be 2.5 inches longer.
8. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Having my arrangements featured at the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art).
9. What’s one thing you would tell your younger self? It doesn’t necessarily get easier, but you have to trust the universe, it always takes care of you.
10. What event or job has been your favorite? I can’t possibly pick one. My favorite types of events are when I’m given autonomy to interpret the direction given to me. That’s when the client is the happiest, we are the happiest and we are always on budget.
11. Any projects that you wish you could forget? Yes, so I will choose to not recall them here.
12. What is your most marked characteristic? My charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.
13. Who are your heroes in real life? My siblings.
14. Who is your floral hero? Lewis Miller.
15. What is your favorite color? Green.
16. What is your favorite flower? Depends on the season, but I’m always drawn to passion flowers and birds-of-paradise, and I think tulips really know how to make an impression.
17. What flower could you live without? Gerbera daisies.
18. What would you call your style of design? Natural Opulence.
19. What is your favorite tool for working with flowers? My Swiss Army knife and my Japanese nips.
20. Who’s on your playlist? Robyn, Brandy, Moses Sumney, Leanne La Havas, Solange—and I love a good soul/house SoundCloud remix.
21. What flower best represents your personality? Why? The chocolate Cosmos because it's velvety delicious, smells like chocolate and is bold, and is ultimately the center of attention—but maybe not the first thing you’d notice.
22. Who is your favorite artist? Currently, I would say the two artists that inform me the most are Kerry James Marshall and the sculptor, Nick Cave.
23. What’s the last book you read (and loved)? “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi.
24. Any pets? Yes, my black standard poodle, Prince Leroy Plume (aka Mr. Leroy, aka Lerona, aka My Beautiful Baby).
25. How do you unwind after a long day? Playing a game on my phone and sitting on my toilet for about twenty minutes.
26. Favorite beverage? Strawberry Waterloo Sparking Water.
27. What do you see trending in floral design? I can tell that people are responding to flowers in non-naturalistic colors right now—I think there’s a sense of fun and fantasy in them. People are looking for an escape from what’s going on in this country, so they are attracted to less realistic things.
28. What’s out? I don’t mean this negatively, but it’s not something I pay attention to. I just do my thing.
29. What is your flower motto? “Don’t overwork it. Let the flowers be flowers.”
30. What’s your motto in life? “Living my best life.”
31. What would surprise us most about you? I’m really quiet when I’m by myself. And kind of shy. It takes a lot of work for me to “turn on”—it isn’t as natural as it may seem.
32. What have you learned from flowers? I’ve learned from flowers that humans have a deep connection with nature and that they really do bring life to a home.
33. If you could invite 3 people (dead, alive or fictional) to a dinner party who would they be? Describe the centerpieces. James Baldwin would get something with bearded irises, Cleopatra would get purple or blue lotus flowers, and Grace Jones would get sexy dyed Anthuriums.
34. What’s your best advice to someone just starting out in the flower industry? Keep working at your craft—don’t compare and despair. It takes a long time to figure out your point of view, and the only way to do it is by working at it.
35. What did we forget to ask? You didn’t ask about my hella lit Instagram—which is beautiful and fun—or about my coffee shop, which you can find here.
