We had the good fortune of connecting with Elle Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elle, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
was born and raised in the capitol of Vietnam, the city of Hanoi. Unlike her well known sister Saigon, Hanoi has very distinctive four seasons with their own weather. That’s why we be able to have specific flowers for each months of the years. Hanoians love to “chơi hoa” or “play with flowers” as a elegant gesture, an important etiquette. My mother always find a way to incorporate flowers in our home, sometimes in abundance, sometimes just a bud vase. Everytime I see fresh blooms, it reminds me of my hometown, my childhood. That’s why I want to be a florist. To keep my memories alive in my heart.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are SongHi Floral, a Korean-inspired floral business from Houston, Tx. We are BIPOC owned, woman-owned, and 100% locally sourced. Songhi was a pandemic baby, a product of curiosity and boredom. After a year interning for Maxime at Blush Floral Co, Elle, our founder, has realized a niche in the Houston market for whimsical floral arrangements, like the one you see on Korean TV Dramas. This idea came to her when her friends kept sending her pictures of floral inspiration and asked her for recommendations. She then realized there was a public demand for this specific style of flower arrangement. That is how pastel-colored floral bouquets, with romantic wrapping and whimsical bows were born, in her one-bedroom apartment. SongHi is a love child of our years of obsessing over Korean pop culture. Growing up in the early 2000s, we have always felt like what we like has always been looked down on as subculture or not worth the hype. We always feel like outcasts or weirdos for liking that specific aesthetic. We did not feel valid. Now that our interests have become mainstream, more and more business offer “K-pop-inspired” products and services, we feel like this is our moment to shine. We put our hearts in our floral selection, our signature wrapping paper, carefully curated IG feed. We are not just selling flowers, we are creating a lifestyle brand, a vibe.
It was not easy to get our name out there. The idea was there, the products were there, but how to get our products into the hands of the customers. It was a journey going from one small brand under the Blush Floral umbrella to Songhi, an individually stand brand. We needed a clean break, clear branding, and a new image. We tapped into the power of social media and influencers. We believe this unconventional marketing is truly the new way. So, we focused on solidifying our social media presence by posting our products daily, creating TikTok contents/reels on Instagram, and reached out to Houston influencers to see if anyone willing to try our bouquets then post about us. Luckily, the influencers community has welcomed us wholeheartedly. Everybody responded so positively and gave us raving reviews. Then come the first order, and the next, and the next. I remember our first Valentine rush. We literally stayed up all night just to prepare for the huge volume of orders. And it also was too cold to sleep anyway since we turned our apartment into a walk-in cooler for the flower. Houston has welcomed us in as their own. We started to feel a sense of belonging in our very own city.
At SongHI, we value all our customers, their businesses and their feedback. But what we treasure the most are the friendships we make along the way. We have a couple who used our services for their first dates and now we are in the process of planning the wedding arrangements. It is exciting to just know that on the days that are the most important for our clients, SongHi is there to commemorate and celebrate with them. If our friendship has taught us anything, it is to trust our vision, trust our guts and trust our instinct. And when the time comes, take that leap of faith.
As we approach our 2-year anniversary, we would like to extend our appreciation to all our clients and partners, friends and family, who have shown us love and support, kindness and patience. You make us a better business. We are the company we are today because of you. Thank you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love China town with all the good food

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Maxine from Blush Floral Co.

Website: songhifloral.com

Instagram: songhi.floral

Other: phone number : 7139036237

Image Credits
Elton Photographer

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.