SUBANG JAYA, March 14 — When Nor Aida Nor Azwar could not find a place that did floral arrangements she liked, she decided to go into the floral design business herself.
In January 2013, she started A&E with her husband Haizronnaha Hasan (better known as Edan). Prior to this, she took up floral arrangement classes at Lee Floral Design Academy.
“I needed to learn the rules so I know which ones to break,” said Aida. A&E may be new but Aida dipped her toes in the floral arrangement business years ago when she started Vanilla Floral Studio in 2010. But that business was focused solely on weddings only.
“We wanted more than that. A&E’s forte is flowers but we do other creative work as well. With flowers, the possibilities are endless. Edan does more on plants and terrariums. Basically we do everything related to flowers, events, gifts, floral installations and more but we’re more towards the art side compared to other floral shops. We also do commission work and conduct workshops,” said Aida.
A&E conducts floral arrangement and terrarium-making workshops. Photography and graphic design are also part of the A&E brand with their own in-house photographer and graphic designer to do the branding and marketing.
“We like to work in a collective way. That’s why we collaborate with other people who are good at what they do. For example, when we wanted to come up with our own T-shirts, we worked with an apparel company to help design them.
During the recent Urbanscapes, we sought the advice of graffiti artists to choose colours for our dried flowers headpiece,” said Edan.
While Aida comes from a design background, Edan was involved in the music scene before he started A&E.
“I’m interested in the creative process of A&E. It’s very interesting to take note of the visual balance of flower arrangement. I’m more organic when it comes to arranging plants in the terrarium while Aida does a more compact job. My philosophy when it comes to terrariums is to let loose and let it be,” said Edan.
Terrariums can last more than three months, according to Edan. But when the plants get bigger, you would need to transfer it to a bigger pot.
“The idea behind the name A&E does not only stand for our initials. In music subculture, there is anarchy and equality. We want to blend that approach for the mainstream market. That’s why our tagline is ‘Power to the people.’
Growing up, I desired to see things that are not the norm,” said Edan.
A&E is definitely not your ordinary neighbourhood florist. The couple adds artistic depth to their creations and the end result are anything but the norm.
“We charge people based on our ideas and skills. They pay for the time spent on the floral arrangement and the skill it takes to make one,” said Aida.
“We want to sell something with a story behind it,” she added.
Aida spends two hours on average to make hand bouquets using a variety of local and imported flowers.
The price for their work ranges from mid to high with RM200 and above for bridal bouquets, approximately RM5,000 and above for event services and RM80 to RM150 for terrariums. Most of the time, the prices vary depending on the customisation and needs of the customer.
“The interesting part of this job is meeting people. We feel good when people like our work. It’s the joy that keeps us going,” said Edan.
Find out more about A&E at www.aekl.co and check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aekl.co. You can also follow them on Instagram at www.instagram.com/aeklco.
This story was first published in Crave in the print edition of The Malay Mail on March 13, 2014.
