Bazaar Babe: Justine of The Bud Club
We're so lucky to work with so many amazing local creatives and one we were particularly eager to find out more about was the equally as beautiful as the medium she works with, Justine of The Bud Club! We recently worked with Justine to create the florals on our latest campaign shoot for Sunshine People and Lotus and we were excited to find out more about her colourful life as a florist.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF- WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU’RE FROM AND WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE?
Hi there! I'm Justine, known to my friends as Juzzie, or Jub. I was born in Canberra but have lived on the Gold Coast for 17 years now which is well and truly home and I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else! I would describe myself as a pretty carefree and relaxed kinda girl who loves spending time with her family, friends and dog Ray Ray. I'm currently growing my first bub, alongside running my floral business TheBudClub. I feel set on fire when I am expressing myself through anything creative like music, fashion, transforming a space with styling or flowers, food, wine and nature!
TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR PURSUIT OF BECOMING A FLORIST AND HOW DID THE BUD CLUB COME ABOUT?
It was my mother’s brilliant idea... they always know best right!
I guess she saw something in me that I didn’t. My mum Michele introduced me to her local florist Imogen, the owner of Wild Lotus in Helensvale. Imogen kindly allowed me to come into her retail store the following day to feel out the ropes. I washed buckets, stripped flowers and made my first bouquet. From there I started practicing out of the garage of my home and the rest is history!
YOUR BEAUTIFUL FLORAL WORK HAS RECENTLY FEATURED IN OUR LAST TWO CAMPAIGNS; SUNSHINE PEOPLE & LOTUS, TALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE FLORALS BASED ON OUR BRIEF?
When you are working for such a fun and vibrant brand like Nine Lives Bazaar the process is so enjoyable every step of the way! The most important part was colour matching the flowers to pieces in the collection, then comes the design which is so freeing when I'm able to draw inspiration from the beautiful silhouettes that Nine Lives has in their collections.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT CREATING AND DESIGNING FLORALS FOR OTHER PEOPLE?
My favourite part is seeing how happy flowers make people feel. Whether it's a gift from a loved one or transforming an entire space for an event. Flowers bring so much life and feeling of warmth, elegance and flair to a room, they really transform a space and evoke so many emotions.
What's your favourite flower and why?
The hardest questions ever! There are too many! But if i had to choose one flower forever it would be a Tulip. Being the only cut flower that continues to grow is just so magic! You can see them drinking water right before your eyes, bending, twisting, growing and opening. They have a really unique character that I will never get sick of.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE KIND OF FLOWER AND WHY?
The hardest questions ever! There are too many! But if i had to choose one flower forever it would be a Tulip. Being the only cut flower that continues to grow is just so magic! You can see them drinking water right before your eyes, bending, twisting, growing and opening. They have a really unique character that I will never get sick of.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE FOR YOU?
Every day is usually a little different depending on what jobs I have on...
A market day starts with my alarm going off at 2:30am I roll out of bed, pour myself a coffee (my baby loves a long black haha) and drive to the Brisbane Flower Markets.
I spend an hour picking out fresh flowers then head back to my studio in Mermaid Beach. Between 6:00am – 8:00am I process the flowers by stripping off unwanted leaves, trimming stems, hydrating and placing the flowers into our fridges. Whilst the flowers take a drink and re hydrate, I look over my orders for the day which could be online gift bouquets, subscription clients or special events.
Online orders are sent out with our couriers and then I hit the road to refresh our subscription clients around the Gold Coast. I usually finish my day around 2:00pm and head home to get horizontal on the couch since I’ve been pregnant haha! Then do it all again!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?
I would describe my personal style as quite emotional. Expressing myself through fashion has always been a big part of my life and self expressive journey. It is how we can present our feelings to the outside world and such a fun outlet for creativity. Everyday my mood and energy is what inspires my colour choices and outfits and this means my style is forever evolving and shifting with where i am at in my life. Dress up parties are my absolute favourite! To be able to shape shift and go all out on an outfit is one of my favourite things to do!
