Entrepreneur and designer, Kristina Fitzpatrick, transformed the paper art industry with one business, Paper & Flowers. The company born in the heart of New York is a boutique event decor studio that is rooted in handcrafting florals and oversized props. Though Kristina’s journey didn’t start there, growing up in Saratov, Russia, she explored ventures across many industries before her move to New York.
Just at 17 years old, Kristina honed her skills in languages and creative work and landed a job as a sales manager for MTV. She later launched her first business, an advertising agency, which was affected by the 2005 economic crisis, leading her to shift and start an agricultural magazine, which was endorsed by Russia’s Minister of Agriculture.
Kristina later sold her magazine and moved to Moscow, and worked as a business coach for a footwear company, while completing her master’s in Human Resources. In 2015, she made a bold move to New York, where she navigated the American market.
From an Instagram page to outreaching, Kristina took a leap of faith after launching Paper & Flowers in 2019 and landed her first client, New York Fashion Week. From Diptyque, Google, to Netflix, Paper & Flowers has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable event decor. The company serves brands, marketing agencies, event planners, art directors, and more.
Kristina’s choice in using paper to create flowers derived from her passion for sustainability and limiting environmental waste through the use of eco-friendly materials. From handmade florals, customizable foam sculptures, and kinetic props, Paper & Flowers does it all as a made-to-order business, led by an all-female team. I had the opportunity to interview Kristina on her journey with Paper & Flowers:
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Style Cartel: Tell us a bit about yourself, your journey, background, and what led you to found Paper & Flowers for our readers.
Kristina: I never had a perfect plan, I pivoted many times. I started in advertising, moved countries, built businesses that didn’t work, and that’s exactly what led me here. Paper & Flowers was never a strategy but a reaction. I wanted to create something beautiful, physical, and emotional, something that people could actually feel. As an entrepreneur, I love finding gaps in the market, and I realized that for all of the massive, beautiful floral displays being created for events year round, there weren’t many (or any) companies creating alternative material solutions to organic flowers. I was inspired to try something new, and Paper & Flowers was born.
I launched Paper & Flowers with nothing but an Instagram account and a bold outreach strategy. Before I even made a single flower, I decided to sell it first. I wrote to the New York Fashion Week team via DM and landed one of their after parties as my very first client. That’s how it all started.
Style Cartel: Your work spans brands like Dior, Diptyque, and Netflix. How do you adapt your vision to align with each brand’s identity?
Kristina: Every brand has its own language, and my role is to translate that into a physical experience. With Dior, for example, it’s about precision, elegance, and heritage. With a client like Netflix, it’s more playful and narrative-driven.
We approach each project by taking a holistic look at each brand’s DNA, examining their audience, tone, and emotional message. From there, we design the framework of our plan and work directly with each team to ensure it’s true to their vision. It’s not about imposing our style, but about elevating theirs through our craftsmanship.
Style Cartel: How do you approach sustainability not just as a practice, but as a creative opportunity, and how has it shaped the way you design and execute your installations?
Kristina: For me, sustainability is a design language rather than a limitation. Working with paper, fabric, and alternative, eco-friendly materials pushes us to think differently and to innovate constantly. Instead of replicating nature, we reinterpret it. When you’re not bound by traditional materials, you can create something entirely new, yet still emotional and impactful.
Style Cartel: With sustainability at the core of your business, how important do you think circular design is to the future of luxury events?
Kristina: It’s very important! Luxury without responsibility is starting to feel outdated. The most in-touch brands now pause and think, “What happens after our event?”
Reusable installations, modular design, pieces that can travel, evolve, transform – to me, that’s the future. Plus, it’s more interesting creatively. I believe circular design will become essential. Luxury is no longer just about aesthetics, it’s about responsibility and intention. Clients are becoming more conscious and the industry is finally shifting towards reconfigurable elements. Also, designing with a second life in mind is not only sustainable, but also smart from a business perspective. Materials saved is also money saved.
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Style Cartel: From Swarovski to New York Fashion Week, what goes into creating an immersive experience that resonates with audiences?
Kristina: We’d love to say that we always sit down and plot each installation with a detailed deck or vision board, but we often need to plan and execute within a week, sometimes even just 48 hours. It takes a lot of team work and creative power.
Beyond appearance, we try to create something that hits you emotionally. Our first question is always – what is going to get people to stop and react?
Scale and detail matter, but if we see people taking a photo without thinking, that’s how we know we’ve done our job.
Style Cartel: What has been the most ambitious or technically challenging project you have worked on so far?
Kristina: One of the most ambitious projects was a recent commission from Valentino, where we were tasked with producing 6,000 flowers within just a few weeks. It wasn’t just about the volume, but the precision and consistency required at that scale. Although there was an abundance of florals, every piece had to feel refined, intentional, and aligned with the brand’s aesthetic.
Projects like that really test your systems, your team, and your ability to stay calm under pressure. Fortunately, we are in a place where we operate well despite the challenges.
On the technically-challenging front, we created two 10-foot-tall horses for Hudson Yards in celebration of Lunar New Year this February. At that scale, it’s no longer just design, it’s also engineering. Everything has to hold, stand, travel, and still look effortless.
That project pushed us into a different level of thinking and creating large-scale sculptural work, and it proved we can build far beyond flowers.
Style Cartel: As a founder and mother of three, leading an all-female team, how has your personal journey shaped your leadership style?
Kristina: You learn very quickly that time is limited and energy is everything I don’t believe in micromanaging. I believe in taking time to hire strong people, setting clear expectations, and moving fast.
Also, empathy, because life is not just work. But when we are working, it’s at a very high level.
Style Cartel: Through your work with Forbes, you mentor and support women pursuing entrepreneurship. What lessons or insights do you feel are most important for the next generation of female founders?
Kristina: I have a few rapid-fire thoughts:
Stop waiting until you feel ready, because you won’t.
Start messy, learn from it, and adjust.
Don’t take “no” too personally. Sometimes it just means “not yet,” or that another project is on its way.
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Style Cartel: You did an installation for the Met Gala after-party, what was that experience like, and how did it differ from your other large-scale projects?
Kristina: It was incredibly fast-paced and high-pressure, but also very exciting. The level of visibility and expectation is different. Everything needs to be flawless while you’re also working within extremely tight timelines.
Compared to other projects, it required an even higher level of precision and discretion, but at the core, the goal remained the same: to create something memorable and beautiful.
Style Cartel: Looking ahead, how do you see Paper & Flowers evolving within the intersection of fashion, sustainability, and experiential retail?
Kristina: I see us expanding beyond décor into immersive, sensory experiences integrating technology, movement, and light into our work.
We’re also focused on scaling our production capabilities while maintaining a our high standard, couture-level finish. Ultimately, I want Paper & Flowers to become a leading name in experiential design, where sustainability, innovation, and luxury coexist seamlessly.
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