What’s In My Balloom Bouquet
Local faux floral designer Dylan Kwacz shares what’s inspiring him now
Daydreaming of Spring’s first flowers. From the brave dandelion root to the proud tulip, we all turn our faces to the sun. And even with May’s hot-and-cold temperament, June arrived with a benevolent bushel: the usual standbys (hello, crocus!) and still more freak-of-nature foliage. Blending into the mix, Ballooms offers something at once kindred and completely unique.
Dylan Kwacz wasn’t always a self-proclaimed balloon boy. Before he founded Ballooms, he was leading TMU’s Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute, where he is currently Acting Director. “I’ve worked with a lot of young entrepreneurs and had given away a lot of good ideas, and I wanted to do something and do it well and in a way that makes me feel proud,” he says. Years later, his innovative arrangements—crafted from natural, biodegradable latex—have left their mark on the city, gracing the storefronts and Instagram feeds of Toronto’s chicest clientele. (Celebrity sighting: even FKA Twigs and Kate Moss gave their stamp of approval at a pop-up in NYC.)
Designlines assistant editor Sophie Sobol (left) and Ballooms founder Dylan Kwacz (right).
Earlier this month, I caught up with Kwacz at a makeshift studio to learn what it really looks like to run Toronto’s first inflatable florist practice. In the spirit of the internet’s proverbial “What’s in My Bag?” format (think: Vogue’s In The Bag series), we reimagined the concept with a design-savvy twist—featuring items that reflect his creative process. Anything was fair game: big, small, symbolic, sarcastic. And after crunching the numbers, here are the seven items the brain behind Ballooms can’t live without.
Film Camera
“The visual component is one of the key parts of what we do,” says Kwacz. “It’s about taking something that could easily go off taste and making sure that it is seen through a lens that feels design focused and feels special—and honestly, does not exist in the balloon industry.” Pulling visual cues from his own family lineage, the vintage 1970s hand-me-down camera strap was originally Kwacz’s grandfather’s.
Art Books and a Bedazzled Lighter
“I think one of my key translations from anyone’s works is colour. Honestly, the shapes [used in my practice] are so specific, and it’s hard to be inspired by shape, but you can easily be inspired by colour. And I think those are some of the ways that I interpret other people’s work as inspiration and as references.” Looking for inspo, Kwacz turns to his favourite artist Egon Schiele, a colour book, and his rainbow Susan Alexandra lighter case.
Bird House Light Sculpture
“I love being surrounded by things that make me happy.” Made by Toronto-based artist (and friend) Luke Vanny, the Pinocchio-esque lamp sits on a marbled wood stool by Bonne Choice.
Headphones
Whether or not he’s streaming the TikToker-turned-pop-star Addison Rae’s Headphones On is up for debate, but Kwacz does swear by a solid playlist—and a good pair of headphones. “One thing that gets me through my creative process is music—and not having to hear the sound of balloons—which is constant.”
Ceramic Candle Holders
“I’ve gotten really good at making balloon flowers, which is not a transferable skill [laughs], but I guess useful for the business. But now the hard part is continuing. There is definitely a pressure to renew and innovate, but then at the end of the day, everyone just wants a daisy bouquet. So, you know, I want to grow the brand and make it feel special. And I definitely want to focus my attention on things like the candle holders and building a world that feels a bit bigger than balloons itself.” 3D-printed in Vancouver, Kwacz’s new line of ceramic candle holders were inspired by the rounded forms of the bouquets (and will be ready for pre-order soon).
Temporary Tattoos
Did you know you can temporary tattoo your balloons? Up until watching a Vice documentary on Ed Hardy as he was working and testing out the peel-water-stick method himself, Kwacz didn’t know either. “I asked, is there a way that I can do that? And it turns out you can.” Always looking for innovations, Kwacz says he believes deeply in, “pushing the boundaries of what balloons can be, with the hopes of building something bigger.”
Flower Power
Dylan Kwacz and his Ballooms.
“I feel that, inherently, people who want to buy from Ballooms want it to feel seasonal. There’s still a connection between flowers and seasons, even though here, it literally has no context at all. But, I mean, it’s always fun to kind of play with the flower aspect. You’d be like, ‘It’s April, so it’s tulip season.‘ And I’m always looking at what florists are doing in terms of shapes and arrangements, and trying to bridge that gap between having something that feels like elevated florals but doing it in balloons.”
