Come into bloom with Gateway’s new floral pop-up
Gateway Theatre of Shopping has six breathtaking floral landscapes with free access for photoshoots and social media videos or fun times with the family.
IF you want to lose the winter blues and add some colour to your Instagram feed, Gateway is the place to be! Bursting with thousands of colourful blooms, the centre’s winter pop-up attraction brings a kaleidoscope of colour to everyday pics and special occasions.
On the back of international trends and the wildly popular World of Illusions, Gateway Theatre of Shopping has produced another first for KwaZulu-Natal – six breathtaking florals landscapes.
“Floral installations are trending worldwide, and we wanted to get in on the action. We’ve loved seeing the space transform into an evocative portrait-ready studio,” said Gateway Marketing Manager, Michelle Shelley.
“Visitors can use the photo-ready backdrops as their canvas to be creative. It’s an open invitation to feel inspired,” says Shelley. The space is ideal for both spontaneous pictures and milestone celebrations, such as birthdays, wedding shoots, engagement proposals, anniversaries, graduation shoots and artistic maternity portraits. “We can’t wait to see pictures staged in these stunning spaces,” Shelley enthused.
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Each of the six rooms has a distinctive colour palette, personality and floral interpretation of its own. “There are dreamy pastels and brilliant reds as well as the sculptured lines of orchids and succulents,” said Shelley. “There’s something for everyone – young and young at heart.”
Gateway visitors are welcome to celebrate memorable moments by posing in the six rooms:
- Evergreen Wings. With a riot of green hues – from sombre British racing, rowdy Ruscus and luscious lime – the hero will look completely glorious with wings of light.
- Swing into Spring. Perched on the prettiest of swings, surrounded by red roses and garlands of blooms, this scene anticipates sweet romance or high drama.
- Succulent Sanctuary. Haughty orchids and no-nonsense Monstera leaves adorn the sleek lines and muted shades of this uber-modern man-cave. It’s a stylish sanctuary, not a cave.
- Nostalgia Calling. Share this classic phone booth with an abundance of pretty pastel-tinted roses, peonies and wisteria for portraits that hark back to the film stars of the fifties.
- Pretty-in-pink. Perfect for ‘reel life’ and show-stopper profile pics, a sublime symphony of pinks elevates model poses in this ‘Barbie box’-style backdrop.
- Paparazzi Bust. Play the international highflier in the sophisticated luxe lobby. Checking in with a new job, partner, qualification? Snap your journey to success, suitably surrounded by high-end lilies, hydrangeas and dahlias in a flush of lavenders and purple.
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The fantastical Bloom Room has been open from July 5 on the Cinema Level and promises to be a popular attraction, featuring a total of more than 20 000 flowers and leaves in twenty-four diverse types. For practical reasons, all the featured items are realistic synthetic replicas.
The highly-themed spaces have been created for mobile phone photography so anyone can take scintillating, shareable shots. The attraction is open for three months so be sure to visit before the season is over.
Information and tips
- Opening Date: July 5
- Location: Cinema level, Gateway
- Opening Hours: Mall trading hours
- Ticket Price: This experience is free
- Time: Allocate 5-10 minutes for each scenario (6 in total)
- Dress: Consider whether you want to blend in, or stand out – each room has a dominant colour. You could even change your outfit according to the theme.
- Post and win: Make sure to use the hashtag #GWBloomRoom when you post your pics to social media, and you could win weekly prizes and mall gift cards.
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