Atelier

Nathalie Garneau studied Arts at the University of Montreal and UQAM and for many years, worked as a window dresser for a large department store in downtown Montreal. When the economy took a downturn, the store unexpectedly closed its doors. Not one to be deterred, Nathalie discovered her entrepreneurial spirit. As she developed a business plan, she realized there was a gap in the fresh-flower market for high-end artificial flowers; and so the seed for Atelier Floral Les 4 Saisons was planted.

Although entirely self-taught, Nathalie is sure that her training in the arts enabled her to master the techniques of floristry. "Composing floral arrangements is all about balancing the relationship between forms and colour, which was well-suited to my training in art," she says. She rented a space in the heart of Verdun and with a bold new entrepreneurial energy, Atelier Floral Les 4 Saisons blossomed on Wellington Street. "When I started out here in Verdun, out of 10 new entrepreneurs, nine of us were women," says Nathalie.