When the co-founder of an international floral show, doing its first exhibit at the Galleria in Edina, contacted Donesha Benson, owner of Urban Blooms in Minneapolis, Benson didn’t know what to think.
“I definitely had to do some digging,” Benson recalled. “I saw the mannequins, and it wasn’t something I had done before. I didn’t know if I could pull it off.”
The opportunity intrigued Benson and came at a good time, as her business was hurting from the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota earlier this year.
The exhibit, Fleurs de Villes FLORA (which means flowers of cities), is a fashion-forward celebration of spring couture in bloom from top Twin Cities floral designers. FLORA featured 15 one-of-a-kind floral installations, each using a mannequin and displayed throughout the Galleria in Edina from April 10 to 19. So far, FLORA has hosted 158 shows in five countries. The 10-day exhibit at the Galleria was FLORA’s first stop in Minnesota.
The exhibit would give Benson great exposure for her floral art, but not the most she’s had. Since starting Urban Blooms 6 years ago, Benson’s arrangements marked many special moments, including an event with a worldwide audience.
“I volunteered to do the flowers for George Floyd’s memorial,” Benson recalled. For the service on June 4, 2020, in Minneapolis, Benson took direction from Floyd’s family, who requested all white. “I got emotional in designing the flowers when the reality of it all set in. I felt honored to be a part of his memory.”
At the time of Floyd’s memorial, Benson’s floral company was only months old. It sprouted virally during COVID when business came to a halt for her wedding and events company, The Party Girl, which she started in 2016. “It was the pandemic, that first year around Mother’s Day,” Benson recalled. “I made my grandmother a floral arrangement and posted it on Facebook. It just took off from there.”
Urban Blooms started to grow and Benson’s flower power pulled in consistent business until January of this year, when it started to wilt. That’s when 3,000 federal agents from Operation Metro Surge, a massive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown, descended into Minnesota, concentrating heavily in Minneapolis. It caused severe community panic, over $200M in local economic damage, and federal charges against agents for killing two US citizens.
“It definitely impacted my business in ways I didn’t expect,” Benson recalls. Corporate events stopped and orders slowed way down. This spring, with only a few hundred federal agents in Minnesota, as compared to a few thousand, Benson said business is better, but not in full bloom just yet.
“Brides are way more conscience on spending these days,” Benson explained. She said the average spent the prior year was about $4500 and has dropped to $2000 this year.
That’s why the opportunity to showcase her work at the FLORA exhibit has been welcome, but also time-consuming. Benson said it took 11 hours to cover the mannequin in flowers, and then she went back every two days to refresh the flowers. Her design inspiration came from a personal goal. “Sometimes I feel like I downplay myself and am safe. This time I thought, I’m going bold or going home!”
Benson’s design featured vibrant reds, purples, and golds as opposed to the spring pastels of the other mannequins. She got a lot of compliments on her palette. She said people called it regal.
Benson also got a call from an editor at Minnesota Bride Magazine. “She said, I see you. There are not many in this community that look like you, and your work does not go unnoticed.”
Seems Benson is meeting that personal goal. She’s no shrinking violet.
Urban Blooms is taking on new projects and clients. You can learn more at www.urbanbloomsmpls.com
