Fashion’s favourite florist on the secret to a joyful wardrobe

Willow Crossley’s clothing is as vibrant as her flower arrangements, and fashion brands have cottoned on to her appeal

For someone who spends her days in a studio and juggling the demands of three sons, aged nine, 12 and 15, florist Willow Crossley is not a practical dresser. ‘Not at all,’ she confesses.
A current go-to, for instance, is a cream cashmere knit by her friend Alex Gore Browne. Her favourite boots? A midnight-blue velvet pair by Penelope Chilvers. Her most-loved coat? A rare Anya Hindmarch piece with fried eggs on the collar, found in Bicester Village.
‘I’m really drawn to colour,’ she says, ‘in flowers and in my clothes.’ She rarely wears black, and won’t go near brown-ish grey. ‘It makes me look terrible.’
For dressier occasions, she’ll wear ostrich-feather-trimmed pieces by maximalist Italian label La DoubleJ, and she loves bold footwear, particularly a pair of bow-adorned Loeffler Randall rainbow heels – although in that department at least, she does often opt for practicality. ‘I’m obsessed with trainers,’ she says, listing pairs by Wales Bonner for Adidas and Flower Mountain in her collection.
There’s an uplifting feel about the way Crossley dresses. She says of her wardrobe: ‘I basically love every piece. They have to fill me with joy. So they will be exquisitely beautiful, more than practical.’
This comes through loud and clear in her Instagram floristry tutorials, which have a loyal following, and generate as much enthusiasm for her outfits as they do for the arrangements she creates using seasonal flowers, foliage and herbs, often from her own garden. In winter we see her in layered knits, coats and scarves; in summer, dresses by Dôen and embroidered pieces by Ukrainian brand Vita Kin.
A post shared by Willow Crossley (@willowcrossleycreates)
It won’t come as a surprise, then, to learn that she studied at the London College of Fashion. She met her husband, Charlie, at 19, and the couple moved to the south of France where they ran a vineyard. Crossley started blogging about crafting homewares inspired by local flea-market finds, which evolved into her first book, The Art of Handmade Living.
When they returned to the UK, eldest son in tow, floristry became her primary creative outlet, dreaming up arrangements and installations for the likes of Dior and Chanel. Her most high-profile project remains the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018.
She still writes, with three further books under her belt and The Seedling, a Substack newsletter, plus she has an online shop through which she sells floristry tools and covetable tablescaping accessories. Among them are paper flowers – ‘I like to mix them with real flowers and foliage,’ she says. There’s a loving cup featuring her own cherry design, and customisable napkin rings, on to which you can button different adornments.
Fashion brands are now tapping into Crossley’s appeal – she has a bestselling collaboration with Brora, which cannot keep her fringed blanket coats in stock, and has also worked with Sézane and jeweller Monica Vinader. The thread that runs through everything she does is authenticity. From her easy manner on camera, to the way she puts clothes together. That’s why she’s picky about the brands and people she works with. ‘If it’s not genuine,’ she says, ‘people can tell.’
‘I’m always cold,’ so having a strong knitwear collection is essential.
‘I’m really particular about fabrics. I won’t wear anything itchy or too tight.’
Crossley’s current favourites are a washed barrel-leg pair by Mother (see below).
‘I want every piece to make me want to do a little dance.’
The title of designer Anya Hindmarch’s book, but an excellent tip Crossley adheres to as well.
Breton jersey, £120, Navygrey
Tutti Frutti sweater, £395, Alex Gore Browne
Half Pipe Ankle jeans, £305, Mother
Suede and fabric trainers, £181, Flower Mountain
Secateurs, £48, Willow Crossley