From drag queens to donuts, this florist’s creativity rules
For Gary Guerin, the owner of the eclectic, “ultra-imaginative” florist Stem Swag, opening his first standalone retail store alongside other LGBTQ-owned businesses in The Royale in the Melrose District this summer will be a big deal.
The Royale is a midcentury modern-inspired, adaptive reuse project spearheaded by the former owner of Bliss ReBAR that will feature a collection of independent businesses, a kid-friendly park and a community gathering space for performances and events at 635 W. Glenrosa Ave in Phoenix.
“Local” is a priority for The Royale developer Mark Howard.
“For me, it’s always been making sure that local comes first,” Howard says. “When people buy local and spend local, that money stays local.”
Stem Swag purchases support Phoenix Pride in June
Gary Guerin
Guerin says the community aspect is particularly appealing for his floral business.
He has long been involved with the LGBTQ+ community in Phoenix, working closely with queer-owned businesses and supporting causes from queer youth center one•n•ten to HIV charity Aunt Rita’s Foundation and beyond.
Throughout Pride month, Stem Swag is selling florals and gifts from LGBTQ+ partners, including rainbow-colored bouquets, disco ball balloons and Freddie Mercury coffee mugs, with 10% of proceeds donated to Phoenix Pride.
“We’re proud to support people, causes and businesses throughout the year. But in June, there is a lot more visibility,” Guerin said. “So it is our job to push some of those products to the forefront to tell the story of where those products come from and why we support those businesses. June is a microscope of what we’re doing throughout the year.”
‘A happy accident’
Guerin perfects a drag queen’s bouquet
Another reason moving into The Royale is exciting for Guerin is because his business might not have survived to celebrate its fifth anniversary if it weren’t for a community of supporters and a dose of creativity.
Stem Swag originally was focused on floral arrangements for events, but that became impossible when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Although the situation seemed stark, his small but mighty team rallied.
They secured a storage room inside floral wholesaler We Got Flowers in downtown Phoenix and began building arrangements they dubbed “emotional support plants.” They sold like crazy.
“We didn’t have logistics or delivery drivers. We were just getting these things out as fast as we could,” Guerin said. “It worked. We ended up here as a happy accident.”
From drag queens to doughnuts, creativity rules
The “Oh, David” arrangement
Guerin readily admits he enjoys thinking outside the vase.
One arrangement option includes a Michelangelo-style David sculpture sprouting flowers.
On Valentine’s Day, his team has hired drag queens to make deliveries. And on National Donut Day, they partnered with Short Leash Hotdogs & Rollover Doughnuts to add sweet treats to their orders.
“I have a lot of ideas,” Guerin said, joking that he “tortures” his staff daily. “It takes the team to bring it all together. It takes the team to edit each other too. Not all ideas are great ideas. But with that said, we’re able to come up with some really cool stuff. Our products are really unique.”
Have you signed the UNITY Pledge?
The UNITY Pledge was created in 2014 to advance equal treatment in work, housing and public accommodations for Arizona’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and their allies. The business community and like-minded individuals understand that if Arizona wants to compete for top talent, we must have diverse and inclusive workplaces.
To date, more than 3,500 businesses and over 20,000 Arizonans have taken the UNITY Pledge making it the largest equality pledge in the nation.
Take the pledge at onecommunity.online/LocalFirst.
