It’s been 17 long years since David Jones last celebrated its Spring Flower Show in Melbourne, but the beloved floral showcase is finally back – with activist, designer and florist Joost Bakker creating a series of sustainable, zero-waste installations especially for the event.
The recently refurbished flagship on Bourke Street is currently playing host to this biophilic wonderland of fresh blooms, vegetation, tree trunks and natural oddities until October 23, with displays dotted throughout the store, windows and facade.
The enormous task has been a year in the making for Bakker (whose family actually supplied David Jones with flowers for the annual show back in the ‘80s), and it’s his biggest creative project to date. All elements of the installations have been locally and ethically grown, bred and sourced from suppliers located just kilometres from Bakker’s farm, including oyster mushrooms, canopies of tulips, golden elm branches and yellow forsythia. The display even features real-life snails and a tank of rare golden barramundi.
“I want people to get excited about the beauty that surrounds us, to understand and feel like they’re immersed in an ecosystem where every single element is connected,” says Bakker. “I believe we need to transition into a world where we generate no waste and I think the David Jones Spring Flower Show will be a great example of how future floral installations can be designed.”
Upon completion of the show, all natural elements will be repurposed, replanted or composted. Tulip bulbs will be gifted to staff and customers to plant next spring, while the fish will be returned to their breeding program.
The Spring Flower Show is on public display until October 23, and will conclude with the introduction of bees on the store’s rooftop. For more information, head to the website.
