Jade Bland has always had a passion for floristry. Her home-based business Fauxquet grew from her original bridal bouquet business. She says, "Sometimes the flowers the bride really wanted weren't in season or not available in the colour they wanted. The solution to me was artificial flowers. They have improved in quality and realism to such an extent that even I am sometimes unable to tell if they are real or not!"

Running a home-based business has its challenges; "A terrace home isn't the biggest of homes and sharing a  workroom with my daughter's toys does come with some interesting challenges. Some of her toys have proved handy - her paper roll holder has been a great way to store ribbons!    

She's found a supportive community in Yarra for her business. She says, "People around here are open to new ideas and trying new options - Fauxquet is a new idea, using artificial flowers which sometimes still have a daggy stigma and also the option of being able to hire your wedding flowers is a new concept, however when people see my bouquets they have been very complimentary and supportive."

"The Yarra Commercial sector has an amazing creative atmosphere, there are a lot of design based business and startups located in the area.  There is also a variety of complementary business located around me that I look forward to creating relationships with." Jade shares that she's particularly inspired by Matt Blat and the local artists' Rose Street Market.

As a resident, Yarra also has a lot to offer. She says, "When moving to Fitzroy from Mitcham we were concerned that we wouldn't have the same sense of community, however, the opposite is true! We have come to know our neighbours really well, other families with young families and our favourite cafes! The community is very focused on supporting local small businesses and those small businesses are very supportive of local community groups." 

Find out more about Fauquet.