If you’ve spent even a minute on Instagram’s more beautiful side, you’ll know Heike Hayward, the creative mastermind behind Fleur le Cordeur, South Africa’s most joyfully maximalist floral studio, and the curator of the chic Mrs Haywood online fashion and homeware store. Her world is a swirl of bold blooms and inspiration for us all. The international events she collaborates on routinely leave us gobsmacked, and all the while, she’s a mum to a big, glorious tribe.
Hayward has that rare gift for making beauty feel warm and generous rather than intimidating. Below, she steps out from behind the petals and trendy outings to answer our favourite eight questions.
What’s the best book you read this year?
Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait stole my heart. Perhaps because above all I enjoy period pieces; the careful balance between pure love and absolute brutality. Also, it’s set between Florence and Provence (my favourite places) and in historical villas and castles that I have had the privilege of visiting before. It’s a story loosely built on real life events and people, and there is something about the main character Lucrezia that feels so familiar – a blend of my own personality and pieces of my daughters’. It’s the sort of book that will linger in my head for a long time.
How do you keep fit?
I always take the stairs if there’s an option – lifts and escalators are a last resort. I also prioritise training above everything: five personal-training sessions a week, two pilates classes, plus a functional class or two at my husband’s gym. In short, I do a lot to stay fit and strong.
One artwork you’ll always love?
My favourite painter is Monet, by far. His work Camille Monet and a Child in the Artist’s Garden in Argenteuil (1875) is my top painting. I think my soul yearns for a time when we made time to just sit and do needlework in a flowering garden, with our kids at our feet …
Weeknight, low-key restaurant go-to?
Absolutely Noop in Paarl. It’s consistently good, and the food is simple yet delicious.
What’s your favourite hobby?
I have many, but renovating our home is my true joy. My husband knows that when winter rolls around, something in the house is definitely changing. I also adore my garden – and my koi fish.
What’s the one item you can’t live without?
Tweezers. I have a unibrow, a moustache and a beard, so they’re essential.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Brad Pitt. A boring answer, I know, but we studied Fight Club as our Grade 11 film text and, as a confused teen with daddy issues, I was obsessed with bad boys, so say no more.
What are your three desert-island songs?
- Landslide – Fleetwood Mac: soft, honest, endlessly listenable. Perfect for thinking things through when it’s just you and the ocean.
- What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong: always on our playlist. If I were stranded, I’d want a reminder of how wonderful life is – warm, calm, comforting.
- Lady in Red – Chris de Burgh: my dad’s favourite. He played it loudly, sang along and often grabbed me to slow-dance. One of my happiest childhood memories.
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Top image: Heike Hayward. Picture: supplied.
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