Alison - start off by telling us about the design brief for the installation?

Owing to the location, for the past two years, the theme has been inspired by the song ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ - but with a different look and feel each time. Last year this included large, vintage-style bird cages and lots of sumptuous Dutch Masters inspired displays. Excitingly in contrast, this year the focus is very much on the feather, which we’ve had lots of fun interpreting. The colour palette is divine; oily blue, plaster pink and peacock green.

What are the key ingredients for the designs?

Some of my favourite flowers and foliage: Blue Bee Delphiniums, Moluccella (Irish Bells) and of course feathery foliage - palms and cycas. We have also designed a laser-cut paper feather which features heavily...

Can you share details of the designs you and the McQueens Events team have created for the event - and what to look out for?

Well in terms of theme - the floral designs are divided into two areas. The exhibition space downstairs predominantly features the pink and blue palette, with the entrance really making a statement. Visitors will be greeted with the wonderful delphs and the paper feathers which create a wonderful suspended installation. In the Brasserie upstairs there is a more earthy feel, with pampas grass and bamboo taking centre stage as part of a wave-shaped structure.

Do you have a favourite element of this year’s design?

LAPADA is always a very special floral commission - the team and I had enormous amounts of fun interpreting the brief. The suspended paper-feather display is a highlight - we really love experimenting with new concepts.