In Full Bloom: The Women Behind Tholsie & Co.

International Women’s Day is a celebration of women in all their forms — leaders, makers, thinkers, artists, nurturers. At Tholsie & Co., that diversity isn’t symbolic. It’s foundational. It’s one of our core values: Diversity in Bloom.

Like a flourishing garden, we believe strength and beauty come from contrast — from individuality, lived experience, and distinct creative voices growing side by side. Diversity in Bloom is not a campaign or a seasonal sentiment. It’s a value we actively protect and nurture within our studio.

Founded by Melanie, Tholsie & Co. was built with intention. With a corporate background, she understood early that strong businesses are shaped by perspective — not sameness. Creating a team with varied life experiences, cultures, and disciplines wasn’t accidental; it was essential. For Melanie, diversity is a creative advantage and a leadership principle.

Our team is made up of women from across the world — from Africa, Europe, and Aotearoa New Zealand — each bringing her own history, culture, and creative language into the studio. That blend of backgrounds shapes everything we design. It’s why no two arrangements ever feel the same.

Among us is an artist who sees negative space and colour as instinctively as a painter sees a canvas. A scientist who understands structure, balance, and the quiet precision that great design requires. A corporate strategist who brings clarity, direction, and bold decision-making. And florists with more than 30 years of experience — women who have lived through trends, seasons, and generations of change, carrying deep knowledge in their hands.

This mix of perspectives makes our work richer. It allows instinct to meet intention. Tradition to meet experimentation. Experience to meet fresh thinking. It allows individuality to flourish — while still creating something cohesive and considered.

International Women’s Day reminds us that women are not one story — we are many. At Tholsie & Co., we honour that truth every day through Diversity in Bloom — in collaboration, in leadership, in creativity, and in quiet resilience.

We are proud to be built by women from different places, different paths, and different chapters of life — united by a shared love of art, flowers, and meaningful work.