The Balancing Act of Juxtaposition

Photo by Kate Berry

The origin story of Flora Nero takes us back to the core of what we are constantly aiming to achieve with our pieces, and with the brand as a whole.

I was a makeup artist in New York working on photo shoots and runway shows for the world’s leading fashion brands. Eli was producing campaigns and mega installations for brands utilizing design as the story telling mechanism. When we met by chance on the stoop in front of my building, our two worlds began to intermix. I then began working alongside Eli and we each brought our creative vision, problem solving strategies and unique points of view to each project we completed for clients. We saw that the combination of our two differing styles actually created a partnership that led to more interesting creative ideas, improved efficiency, and stronger execution.

When we decided to build our own design brand catering indulgences, we knew that we had to continue to embrace both of our characteristics into the framework of the brand and its esthetic. The name itself, Flora Nero, means Black Flower which is meant to signify these dualities coexisting and thriving.

We worked closely with our Design Director, Marc Thorpe, in order to evoke these sometimes seemingly opposing characteristics into a cohesive design representing form and function, masculine and feminine, universal and unique, nostalgic and forward thinking.

Moving beyond the design, engineering, and the crafting of the pieces, we knew the brand itself needed these elements of push and pull, taboo and luxury, established and tongue in cheek.

Photo by Jonathan Lennard

The entire process has been, and continues to be challenging, fun, exciting and always evolving along that same axis.

We will always seek the highest quality materials, most skilled craftspeople and diverse partners. Yet we will continue to remain playful, and our campaigns are meant to evoke a bit of campy over-exaggeration. The level of production is never compromised, but we will give you a little wink throughout.

xx

Anna

Photo by Jonathan Lennard

Beautiful Herbs You Can Smoke or Drink

Flora Nero Co-Founder and my partner in everything, Eli, is an avid connoisseur of traditional Hashish. He was born in Tel Aviv where he lived until his 40’s, and where Hashish was the mainstay for cannabis lovers. When he moved to New York in 2013, he tried out the more popular extractions prominent in the States including shatter and wax, which he used with various vape pens. Ultimately he found the experience lacking.

He decided he wanted to return to his roots of traditional Hashish. However, he had never enjoyed mixing it with tobacco or cannabis flower as most people did. Thus began his foray into researching, testing and formulating his own unique herbal blend which would enhance the flavor and overall experience of the Hashish.

There were set criteria that needed to be met. The flavor needed to showcase the Hashish, and not overpower it. The pull needed to be smooth and have a pleasant mouth feel. And the biological effects of the herbs and flowers needed to make sense when combined with the cannabinoids.

What has resulted over the past three years of experimenting is a beautiful mix of herbs, flowers and roots which can be smoked alone, combined with flower, combined with Hashish, or even made into a tea for drinking. As with any other substance, please check yourself for any risks these herbs might pose.

We have made this unique Flora Nero House Blend of Herbs available exclusively to Flora Nero Elite Members. Please sign up at the bottom of this page to become and Elite Member to receive the code.

Mullein Leaves - the base of the blend, this fluffy plant is very light and mild, almost flavorless, and anecdotally used as a lung tonic to reduce inflammation and stop coughing

Skullcap - very neutral in flavor and promotes a calming effect when smoked

Red Raspberry Leaves - neutral flavor and aroma and provides a slow, even burn while containing flavonoids, tannins, minerals, Vitamins E, E and B and provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Rose Petals - provides a mild floral fragrance and flavor while providing mood enhancing properties and relaxation

Blue Lotus Flowers - activates dopamine receptors, enhances motor performance. Note: it is possible to ingest too much Blue Lotus Flower and make yourself ill. We incorporate only a very small amount in our blend

Chrysanthemum Flowers - a calming plant with a mild floral flavor and aroma

Rhodiola Root - an adaptogen that aids in the body’s absorption of cannabinoids, enhancing the experience when combined with flower or hashish

Yerba - a smoky aroma and flavor, mental clarity

Silver Tip Cocoa - a Chinese tea with a mild honey flavor and hints of tangerine, relaxes the lungs, anti-inflammatory, and aids in alertness

Marshmallow Root - mildly sweet fragrance that is soothing to the chest and throat, and contains terpenoids that add a bit of headiness to your experience

Red Willow Bark - often used during Native American ceremonies, it has a mild woodsy flavor and aroma

Rethinking Holiday Gifting

Every year it comes without fail. The need to come up with creative gift ideas that your recipients will actually use and enjoy, which are also inline with your own thoughts and priorities. This is not only true for us as individuals gifting to our families, friends and loved ones, but it also a major consideration when gifting to work colleagues, clients and valued team members.

While we are thrilled so many chose to gift Flora Nero pieces to their own friends and family, we wanted to choose something unique, useful, and in line with our brand values for holiday gifting to our team.

At Flora Nero, our core values are maintaining the highest level of quality, valuing our maker partners, and striving to bring sustainable materials and practices into the luxury category as foundational, and not secondarily. I wanted these values to be reflected in the gifts we presented as thanks to our Sales and PR teams this holiday season.

An LA based company that we have followed for the past three years is Suay LA. The founder, Lindsay Rose Medoff, created Suay LA in 2017 with a focus on upcycling as a means of cleaning up the excessive waste within the garment industry. They utilize a combination of post-consumer waste textiles, deadstock and domestically and organically grown fibers in their ever-growing and evolving roster of clothing, accessories and home goods.

Their dedication to community culture is evident in their “free rack” program, community dye baths, and activism in garment workers’ rights and policy reform.

I purchase their pillows and linen napkins for our own home, and I wanted to share their eclectic and fun designs with our team while supporting a local company that is doing impressive work. We purchased their Imperfect Nano Pouches in a variety of colors (as they are all unique and one-off creations), and then we had them embroidered with our Flora Nero emblem. The pouches are the perfect size to carry your daily essentials with you or for travel.

Remember when gifting that it is just as much a reflection of you as it is the person receiving the gift. Happy Holidays.

Flora Nero on Cool Hunting

Even prior to Flora Nero being an idea in our minds, we have followed the projects, musings and taste making of Cool Hunting. For twenty years Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten have made it their mission to seek out the makers and the dreamers who are redefining and reimagining design, art, culture and technology.

It was our great pleasure to sit and swap stories, share our passions, and discuss the future of the world at large with Josh Rubin. Such a pleasure, in fact, that we had to schedule a secondary follow up Zoom to actually get around to discussing Flora Nero in particular.

We are elated to have a feature on Flora Nero in Cool Hunting in which we premiered our brand’s first major campaign shot and directed by Jonathan Lennard for Holiday 2022.

Please enjoy the full article