Online Celebrity Florist: Social media's influence on the floral industry

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The internet is transforming many industries around the world. And that includes the floral industry. It's not just changing in terms of online orders. Social media is also influencing the business, where flower arranging pioneers like South Korea's Lee Ju-yeon are changing the way people think about a simple bouquet. Jack Barton caught up with the social media influencer at her store in Seoul.

South Korean online celebrity florist Lee Ju-yeon at her flower shop in the heart of Seoul's high-end Gangnam district.

Lee attributes her success to a combination of striking innovation, like using black paper normally reserved for funerals, and smart use of social media.

Currently, she has more than 127 thousand followers on Instagram, though success was not instant.

LEE JU-YEON FLORIST AND OWNER OF VANESS "I put up a photo of a red rose with black wrapping one day. There were not many likes on my Instagram photos, then there were 500 likes on that unique photo and more than 50 comments."

Dedicated fans now fly in from around the world to attend her courses.

Today's class includes students from Indonesia as well as Taiwan and China's mainland.

LIZ STUDENT FROM TAIWAN "It is a great thing to take lessons here. We all dream about coming here. It is different from what I learnt in Taiwan. In Taiwan, the style is of great formality, trimmed in order. So, I can learn different things here."

JACK BARTON SEOUL "The name of Lee Ju-yeon's company is Vaness, derived from the Greek word for butterfly, a species she believes is inseparable from flowers. And the inspiration doesn't stop there."

With no formal florist training, Lee sees her own journey as similar to the extraordinary metamorphosis a caterpillar undergoes during its transformation into a butterfly.

LEE JU-YEON FLORIST AND OWNER OF VANESS "I wanted to open a shop, but I was scared. I was just working with weddings for three years because I did not have enough experience with teaching other people and making a product, so I worked for another three years then opened my shop."

JACK BARTON SEOUL "The black paper used in funerals seems a fairly radical idea for a florist. Where did you get that idea?"

LEE JU-YEON FLORIST AND OWNER OF VANESS "I don't wrap white flowers with black wrapping paper, that meaning is really for a funeral. But for other vivid colored flowers, modern greyscale like black, grey and white, they look better with those vivid colored flowers."

The gamble to try something different paid off.

And Lee Ju-yeon's advice to anyone starting a business for the first time, florist or not, follow your own inspiration, prepare for a few failures and build that online following. Jack Barton, CGTN, Seoul.