About us

PROFILE OF MERCEDES SARMINI

With 14 years floral experience and two operating flower businesses: Flowers By Vogue and Flowers By Mercedes; Ms Mercedes Sarmini is on a full steam train, destination: worldwide.

A humble beginning, it all started in the family front and backyard garden at St Marys in the mid-1980's. With migrant parents and the eldest of 4 siblings, Mercedes had alot of responsibility from an early age.

Life Story

When you’re brought up in a home where women have no power, no voice and no say, you learn to be submissive. Mercedes grew up in a poor family in Sydney’s outer western suburbs. Her mother didn’t work because ethnic women of her generation traditionally don’t, and her father was at home because of a work injury. Mercedes says that her "mother paid the price for his pain every day of her life". Her father mentally and physically abused her mother and Mercedes would place her little body between them to try and stop his cruelty.

Mercedes married at 17 as a ticket out of home, however found herself in exactly the same situation her mother had been in. Her husband eventually left her for another woman and Mercedes fell in love again which also ended up in abuse.

For the second time in her life, Mercedes was alone again. This time, Mercedes decided things were going to change. She thought: “Come on, show them all what you can really do.’’ I needed to prove to myself — as much as to them — that I could be a success.

Eventually obtaining a part-time job in a florist shop and working backbreaking hours to kick start her own career. "Flowers were like therapy to me: instead of reaching for a glass of wine, I would find happiness in flowers and their smell, their colours and the fact they bring happiness to others."

Mercedes became obsessed and spent every waking moment on her business. After launching her own flower shop, an online weddings shop and authoring children’s books about flower arranging, she became passionate about training other women. She knocked on doors to get training accreditation, learnt about best business practice, wrote endless proposals, and went into a massive amount of debt. Now it's paid off.

Mercedes now trains women who are damaged, poor or unskilled and looking for a fresh start—women like she was. Apart from the training workshops, she has fought for access into jails, schools and Indigenous communities to help women get a start in the industry by lining up work experience and job opportunities.

"I tell the girls who do my course that if you don’t believe in yourself then no-one’s going to believe in you. If you are passionate about something, nothing will stop you. You can pursue your dreams. You can be independent. You can make it".

Working History

Commencing part time work at the Sydney Flemington Markets from the age of ten, to help support her family, Mercedes was introduced to the Sydney Flemington Flower markets. The colours, shapes and fragrance of cut flowers captivated her imagination, and that is when, Mercedes Sarmini, floral birth, commenced.

Mercedes, is a qualified Childcare assistant. With her knowledge of floristry, Mercedes has been able to combine the two industries together and deliver, floral arranging workshops with kids.

To date, Mercedes has completed 28 DIY shows for Flower Power, 18 for Floriade and including Bunnnings - a total of 77 live shows to date. She also runs a worldwide training academy along with Flowers by Mercedes and Flowers by Vogue. Mercedes also runs an accredited floristry training Academy (RTO) and has published 4 children's DIY Flower Arranging books.

Mercedes has performed shows with Don Burke and has recently filmed 4 pilots and many more to film on the concept of floral arranging out of your front and backyards.

Mercedes in the process of writing books and filming celebrity backyards. She has knowledge of the Horticulture industry and TV presenting skills. She is teritary educated in Business Management and possess the highest level of Floristry qualification. She is also a qualified floristry teacher and has completed program of flower workshops to teach the passionate student.

Mercedes is passionate about helping others and runs workshops for Indigenous Australians

Book Mercedes for:

• Team Building Workshops
• DIY Workshops for your clients
• Fundraising
• Trade Shows
• Keynote Speaking