Our Story
The seed for Manifesto Flowers was planted in 1999, when Bruno Bugiani met Kenneth Pope in New York City. At the time, Bruno was at the tail-end of a career in fashion. After working on stage design and costumes at famed Milanese theater La Scala, where he met Gianni Versace in 1984, he subsequently worked for Versace for 16 years, assisting first Gianni and then Donatella. In 2001, Bruno changed his focus to music and became the manager of Italian pop star Eros Ramazzotti, a position he held for 10 years, during which they completed four world tours and played to well over a million fans. Ken had spent 15 years in New York doing production and graphic design at various magazines, including Details, Condé Nast Sports for Women, and Good Housekeeping. After transferring to Milan in 2000 he continued working in publishing for Uomo and D de La Repubblica and for Lillisimone, a design firm specializing in the luxury market, as well as doing freelance jobs for clients such as New York magazine and So a Coppola.
In 2012 they decided to combine their varied experiences and interests and start Manifesto Flowers, which is based in Milan. Bruno has always had a strong interest in plants and flowers, and both men are passionate about design and culture from high to low, from the stage of CBGBs to the proscenium of La Scala. They bring their unique perspective and creativity to the installations they create for weddings, corporate events, and boutiques and can boast a prestigious list of clients such as Versace, where they are the designated florist for the entire firm as well as Donatella’s personal florist, Ralph Lauren, Aveda, Gianvito Rossi, Givenchy, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Vranken-Pommery, Rolex, IWC, Damiani and many others. In 2015, they oversaw the design and installation for the Versace Haute Couture show in Paris, for which they used 24,000 vanda orchids to cover the runway and a giant Versace medusa logo.
More pictures on Instagram: www.instagram.com/manifesto_flowers_milano