The Kardashian's Christmas parties have become stories of legend but those stunning decorations and floral arrangements don't appear by magic – it's all thanks to the hard work and inspiration of American designer and florist Jeff Leatham.
"I love working with The Kardashians, and planning one of their beautiful events because they have such great taste – they really are trendsetters and tastemakers," Jeff tells HELLO!
"If you see one of the girls doing [something] then six months later someone else is doing it and it's fun to push the button and work with people that like to take risks."
Jeff, 52, has been working for over 30 years since he got a job at the Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills, learning the craft of floral arranging before transferring to the iconic George V Hotel in Paris in 1994.
He has since worked with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Dolly Parton, the Dalai Lama, Cher, Sofía Vergara, Kanye West and the Kardashians – Kris officiated his 2017 wedding and Kim wrote the foreword in his 2023 book The Art of the Flower – as well as Tina Turner, whom he says was "like a mother" to him.
"Who I loved to work with the most was my dear friend, who was like a mother to me, Tina Turner. My favorite collaborations were with Tina because she had such a beautiful sense of style and taste," Jeff says.
"When we would work together, whether it be, you know, things for her home or when I designed her wedding florals, those were my favorite memories.
"I love working with people who have been there and done that and seen it and share their experiences with me to make me a better designer, because I'm always learning – if I'm not pushing my buttons and am no longer still learning and doing different things, then it's time for me to bow out."
After decades in the industry, Jeff says he now knows he can say "no" when he needs to, having earned the trust of his A-list roster and working only with those clients whom he shares a personal relationship with like Cher, who visited his studio this past week to "catch up and chit-chat".
"My friends that I've worked with are people that I looked up to as artists – whether it be it visual art or acting or singing – and the fact that I'm able to collaborate and work with these artists now makes my life such a beautiful place because artists and collaborating with other artists is the most important aspect for me," he says.
Jeff is now working on his first ever multi-dimensional floral exhibition, BLOOMTANICA, designed in partnership with Genesis House in New York City. The display features one-of-a-kind experiences including a 360-degree immersive sculptural installation with dynamic LED, winding mirrored columns, expansive pathways and a reflective oasis all of which aim to depict the growing, blooming and fading we see in the cycle of flowers.
For Jeff, the exhibition was "about touching on all the senses: the visual stimulation, the smell of the florals when you walk in," and he was inspired by Korean heritage and the gardens of Seoul with "the orange of the lava, the hot pinks of a hibiscus flower".
"It's a sensory overload in a good way when you walk through the exposition, and we really wanted to create something that people had never seen before, with the colors mixed with the visual movie that's been created that really transports people into a dream world."
Visit BLOOMTANICA an immersive floral experience at Genesis House NYC now until June 9 in New York City.