Florist In Residence: Deja Studio

Get to know our new resident

Words by Laura Semple 

Naarm-based floristry practice Deja Studio announced the launch of its debut collection, First Bloom, available for pre-order ahead of the studio’s debut at the Millie Savage flagship store in Fitzroy for a six-month residency.

Founded by Sarah Dimauro, Deja Studio was built on a simple observation: a mixed bouquet, chosen for convenience, rarely says as much as an arrangement given proper attention and intention. Some days call for one flower, taken in abundance; others call for a considered mix with the season, rather than a fixed template, setting the terms for each piece.

For the past six years, Sarah has worked under the name Deja as a textile artist. A recent return to study, this time in floristry, carried her creative practice somewhere new and with the same instinct for texture, colour and considered composition that now defines Deja Studio’s aesthetic.

The residency follows the success of SOFLOWER’s own residency within the Millie Savage flagship, after which the team at Millie Savage made the decision to revisit the format, opening the space to a new generation of emerging floral designers to create and experiment freely. Deja Studio is the latest to take up that opportunity.

The pairing is a considered one. Both Millie Savage and Deja Studio share a maximalist instinct with bold colour, abundance, a willingness to let a piece take up space, matched with a discipline that keeps that abundance from ever feeling careless. It’s a shared sensibility rather than a stylistic coincidence, and one that made this the natural place for Deja Studio’s first physical space.

Sustainability is also central to how the studio operates. Vessels are designed to be returned and reused rather than discarded once an arrangement’s flowers have faded, an approach the studio calls The Keeping. Customers bring their vessel home, then bring it back for their next order, turning each arrangement into an ongoing relationship rather than a single transaction. “Nature doesn’t hurry, and I’ve stopped trying to either. You learn patience quickly working with flowers, nothing blooms early because you need it to. Deja Studio has grown the same way, in its own time, and I’m glad I let it.” — Sarah, Founder, Deja Studio.

First Bloom is available for pre-order in the lead-up to 1 September, when Deja Studio officially opens its doors.

dejastudio.com.au

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