In her interview with Bored Panda, Monika shared that the need to create has always been part of who she is. “As a child, I was constantly making things—it didn’t matter what, as long as my hands were busy and something new was coming to life.”
That instinct followed her into adulthood, leading her through stained glass, traditional Tanjore painting, photography, and even gardening. “Each medium taught me something different—about texture, light, composition,” she explained. Flowers, however, became something more. Monika began experimenting with them in 2016, sharing her work online, entirely self-taught. “I have no formal training, no fashion background. And honestly, sometimes when I look at what I’ve created, I still can’t quite believe it.”
The idea for Oscars in Bloom came naturally. “I’ve always loved following Best Dressed lists during awards season,” she said. “And just before the Oscars this year, I thought—why not create my own? Not with fabric, but with flowers.”
It wasn’t entirely new territory. Monika had explored floral work before, but this series pushed it further. “It felt like a more evolved version—more refined, more ambitious.”
Working with flowers for Monika is as challenging as it is rewarding. “They’re fleeting, imperfect, and incredibly alive. That’s what makes them special.” Different flowers behave in completely different ways. “Hibiscus petals are soft and easy to shape—they almost drape on their own. But lilies and orchids? They have a will of their own. Getting them to flow the way you want is a real challenge.”
Many of the materials come from her own garden, adding a personal layer to the work. “Every morning I wake up excited to see what’s bloomed. The colours, the gradients—it never gets old. That daily sense of wonder is where a lot of my inspiration comes from.”
When it came to choosing which flowers go with which celebrity, there was no strict plan. “Honestly, I don’t choose—I just create,” she said. “It’s completely intuitive.” Somehow, the combinations feel almost inevitable. “Priyanka Chopra became blue orchids—exotic, striking. Beyoncé had to be lilies and hibiscus—lush, layered, powerful. And Lady Gaga… she needed multiple flowers just to match her scale.”
The process itself blended physical and digital artistry. Each piece started with a fashion illustration, followed by the careful construction of the gown using real petals. “That’s the heart of it—about 80% of the work,” Monika explained. “It’s all trial and error. For every piece that works, there are others that don’t.” Once the floral design was complete, she photographed it and built the final editorial-style image in Photoshop.
At the core of it all is a simple intention. “I want people to feel wonder—and then look twice,” the artist said. “That moment when you realise the gown is made from real petals… that’s when the magic happens.”
And for fans, that’s where it became even more interesting, as they saw familiar red carpet moments reimagined into something that never actually existed, shaped entirely from flowers and imagination.
