The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1369261
F LOWERBX co-founder and CEO Whitney Bromberg Hawkings is dominating the floral industry with her luxury flower delivery service. Her brand delivers unique and quality floral arrangements to the United States and Europe. The service sources its flowers directly from growers, making it a quality and sustainable choice in floral delivery. Hawkings started her career working as an assistant to Tom Ford, and after two decades in fashion, she shifted her talents and expertise to flowers. Fortunately, this decision kept her in the same working sphere as her former colleagues, keeping her professional relationships familiar and easing the transition. Hawkings' brand is now flourishing and becoming widely recognized as the chic go-to brand to supply flowers and arrangements. With her ambition and commitment to quality and consistency, Hawkings aims to dominate the floral industry with FLOWERBX. How did you make the transition from the fashion industry to building and leading a floral arrangement empire? While leaving Tom Ford and my two-decade- long career in fashion was one of the most difficult and terrifying decisions of my life, I was so delighted and relieved to find that the transition from fashion to flowers was actually seamless. I am so happy to be working with the same people, the same press, the same restaurant and hotel groups and the same luxury brands, only with a different medium. Our language is new, but the relationships are the same and we are all speaking the language of beauty. What distinguishes FLOWERBX from other similar services? While there are a lot of flower delivery services, I haven't yet come across one that is as obsessed with quality, consistency, and overall excellence as FLOWERBX in everything that we do. Our unique business model (where we keep no stock and source all of our flowers directly from the growers) means that we can offer unparalleled freshness, value, and quality. It also means that we have no waste, making us the most sustainable choice. I can confidently say that we are the only online flower delivery that operates in the premium luxury space. Do you have any go-to flowers for each season? One of the greatest things about working with flowers is their inherent seasonality. In the spring, I can't get enough of peonies, but as I start to tire of peonies (if that's even possible), dahlia are back with a bang, leading us to late summer when we see the re-emergence of hydrangea in bright beautiful hues. So, I don't have a favorite flower, but I definitely have a floral star each season. You've brought such elegance to flower arrangement delivery. What inspires this style? I think we have been able to tell new stories with flowers, as we aren't traditional florists. My husband and I cut our teeth with Tom Ford when we were all at Gucci 25 years ago, and then we left with him to form TOM FORD a decade V U E N J .C O M 41