We recently connected with Mario Casarella and have shared our conversation below.

Mario, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I actually met my very first client in the hair salon I had opened with my business partner in Soho. We both loved flowers, so I began creating floral arrangements to decorate the salon. One day, one of our regular clients called me and asked if I would design the flowers for her wedding in Boston. I gladly accepted the challenge, and that client Marie Quimper became the first person to trust me with a large scale floral project. That experience gave me the confidence to turn my passion for flowers into a real business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Mario Casarella, a Venezuelan-born floral artist and designer now based between NYC Paris and Italy . My story begins at sixteen, when I was already curious about art, design, and fashion. With an Italian father and a Venezuelan mother, I grew up surrounded by two cultures that celebrated beauty, craftsmanship, and vibrant expression. That mix of European elegance and Latin American warmth shaped my eye and gave me a deep appreciation for color, texture, and the emotional power of aesthetics. Today, my work spans custom floral installations, event styling, and specialized design services for private clients, luxury brands, art galleries.
I create everything from intimate flowers arrangements  and editorial pieces to large-scale, immersive environments. My goal is always to translate a client’s story or emotion into something tangible and unforgettable whether it’s the opening of art gallery , the identity of a brand, or the energy of a celebration.

What sets my work apart is the fusion of cultures and aesthetics that have shaped me. My Venezuelan upbringing instilled a love of bold color, tropical textures, and natural drama, while my Italian heritage and years in Italy  and France refined my sense of balance, elegance, and craftsmanship. My arrangements often marry these worlds vibrant, unexpected palettes balanced with refined structure.

I’m most proud of the trust my clients place in me. Flowers are ephemeral; they live only for a moment, yet they hold enormous power to create memories. Being invited into life’s most meaningful occasions is both a privilege and a responsibility. Each project reminds me why I do this work: to create experiences that linger in the heart long after the flowers fade.

For anyone discovering my brand for the first time, I want them to know that my designs are about more than decoration,  They are immersive stories told through nature crafted with care, emotion, and a sense of wonder., my mission is to make your vision bloom in a way that is unforgettable, personal, and uniquely yours.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Absolutely. My entrepreneurial thinking and creative philosophy have been shaped by resources and inspirations.
In art, I’m deeply moved by Claude Monet his ability to capture light and atmosphere reminds me to look for emotion and subtlety in every composition.
In fashion, Yves Saint Laurent inspires me with his magical mixes of color, proving that boldness and elegance can coexist.
I’m also fascinated by Rei Kawakubo, whose fearless use of volume and texture encourages me to play with structure and to treat flowers almost like sculptural materials.
And when it comes to music, the delicate, dreamlike piano notes of Erik Satie have a way of clearing my mind and opening new creative pathways.

These influences continually remind me that floral design isn’t just about arranging blooms it’s about creating experiences that merge art, fashion, and music into something ephemeral yet unforgettable.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One moment that really tested my resilience happened early in my career, right after I received my first big client for a wedding in Boston. At the time, I was still primarily focused on running the hair salon in Soho, and I had very little experience managing a large-scale floral project. The challenge felt enormous: sourcing the right flowers, creating arrangements that matched the client’s vision, and coordinating logistics across cities.

There were days when I questioned whether I was truly ready for this step. Some deliveries didn’t arrive on time, and I had to make quick decisions to reimagine parts of the arrangements at the last minute. But I refused to let setbacks define the outcome. I stayed focused, problem-solved relentlessly, and leaned on the creativity and skills I had cultivated since I was sixteen, exploring art, fashion, and design.
The result exceeded the client’s expectations, and that experience taught me a vital lesson: resilience isn’t just about pushing through difficulty it’s about staying adaptable, maintaining your vision under pressure, and finding solutions when things don’t go as planned. That mindset has carried me through every project since, no matter how ambitious or complex.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @flowersbymariocasarella

Image Credits

Mario Casarella

Flowers by Mario Casarella