414loral Specializes in Seasonal Floral Designs

by Ben Slowey

May 10, 2023

2:03 p.m.

Photo by Haley Eaglestar Rock

414loral

414loral is a flower shop, located in Bronzeville at 2714 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, specializing in unique, personal seasonal designs and "connecting their community with the warmth and beauty of nature," according to their website. Owned by Mikel McGee, 414loral is committed to sustainable and conscientious practices through sourcing their flowers and materials locally, donating leftover blooms, investing in local organizations, collaborating with small businesses on community events and more.

Photo by Haley Eaglestar Rock

Mikel McGee

McGee discovered her passion for floral arrangements while she was a student at UW-Milwaukee, where she took a floral design course that profoundly resonated with her. "I fell in love with it from there," McGee recalls. "It started out as a hobby; back then I had no intentions of it growing to this size."

After graduating, McGee would continue doing arrangements for fun and for friends and family using flowers purchased from Trader Joe's. She began posting these arrangements on Instagram, which inspired McGee to eventually make a separate Instagram account specifically for her flowers. Her sister helped coin the name 414loral, and then in 2019 she got invited to participate in a popup by BetaMKE. "That was where I got to sell my flowers for the first time," McGee said. "The response from the community was really great; it gave me motivation to keep going with it."

The pandemic hit shortly after, which was a period of intense uncertainty for McGee. While working as an advocate at Sojourner Family Peace Center, she continued making arrangements, including ones for her first wedding. McGee reflects, "I think during quarantine, people were really looking for a source of joy, and flowers definitely bring joy to peoples’ lives. During a time where you might have not been able to physically be with loved ones, you could still show that you were thinking of them by sending flowers, and that was a good way to stay connected."

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Seeing a need for that community connection, McGee decided to pursue 414loral full time and secured a lease for her shop's space in August 2020. Nearly three years later, 414loral has been the three-time winner in the Florist category of the Shepherd Express’ "Best of Milwaukee: Bought and Sold" award.

Their arrangements utilize the seasons as much as possible rather than focus on individual flowers; McGee explains, "Everything we do is intentional and purposeful. Working with the seasons really gives our flowers a unique look; we like to use what nature gives us. We have this approach for our wedding work as well, so when we’re meeting with couples, we let them know that our focus is more on the overall color palette and aesthetic of the wedding."

414loral sells accessories such as eucalyptus bundles, greeting cards, candle tins, vases and tote bags as well. Haley Eaglestar Rock is the shop's resident photographer. "She's been an instrumental part in the business," McGee said about Rock. "Having someone as talented as her around is so motivating, and it's been great sharing the journey with her because she's been with me pretty much since right after I started 414loral."

McGee says that going out on deliveries and bringing people their flowers bring her the most joy in her work. "I really like getting to see their reactions," she said. "People light up when they’re around flowers, and the impact of that really makes me happy."

When it comes to community engagement, 414loral has collaborated on initiatives over the years such as a floral workshop with Athleta Mayfair, Mother's Day events with Edelweiss Cruises and Franciscan Peacemakers, a school supply drive with Heal the Hood, "Bagels & Bouquets" with Ruby's Bagels, "Bouqs & Bonds" with Paloma Wilder's Bond Bar, a Valentine's Day/Women's History Month event with Nordstrom Mayfair, and they have hosted an Earth Day cleanup.

Additionally, 414loral has supported and donated to organizations such as Pearls for Teen Girls, America's Black Holocaust Museum, Milwaukee Freedom Fund, Northcott Neighborhood House, Pathfinders, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), Feeding America, Hunger Task Force and UWM's Intro to Floral Design course—the same one McGee took.

"Last year we covered the course fee for the UWM course for some students and we’re hoping to do that again this year," McGee adds.

414loral has a floral donation program where they take leftover flowers from their weddings, repurpose them and donate them to local organizations with the help of volunteers from UWM's Center for Community Based Learning, Leadership and Research; McGee mentioned, "We’re always looking for more organizations to donate leftover flowers to--I’m really looking forward to continuing to do that in the future."

The shop recently went through a rebrand with a new color palette, logo and merchandise which they hope to increase their retail presence and collaborations with this year. They have also worked with bath, body and home goods business Bushyl on launching their own signature candle soon. "Things feel much more like how I envisioned 414loral as a brand now," McGee affirmed.

On the biggest takeaway she's learned since starting 414loral, McGee shared, "You definitely can't do it alone; you need support and it's okay to ask for help. There's probably more people who are willing to help you or looking to support you than you realize. Especially as a business owner, it can feel lonely at times, and it's really important to surround yourself with uplifting and positive people."

LEARN MORE

414loral is open to shop Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. In-store pickup and delivery is available Tuesday through Friday. Visit their website at 414loral.com.

by Ben Slowey

May 10, 2023

2:03 p.m.