Meet Our Creative Director & Partner, Florence Mussou

How does mindfulness inform your design process?

For a few years, I’ve been embracing the path of personal development. It’s now really part of my daily life—my connection to the world, the people around me, and myself. Naturally, I weave it into my design approach.

For me, meditating on the process of designing also answers questions about myself and the world. It’s my dialogue with the world, the universe, and its beauty.

Why is storytelling such an important part of visual expression?

It’s the magic thread of each project. The seed, the plant, the flower, and how people are going to look at the flower and feel the emotions. What I like the most is how people are going to connect what they experience to their own stories. It’s the ripple effect of storytelling. By connecting elements from a personal story, we are adding to the collective story and memory.

I like the metaphor of the growing process of a plant, as it needs time, a lot of love, and care all along the process to deliver the final “flower” to the world.

In a more pragmatic way, storytelling brings the frame and the structure to the creative process. It’s needed to connect the elements together in time and space.

How would you describe your unique aesthetic?

Simple, timeless, personal, imperfect, feminine, mindful, minimalist, slow, intuitive, authentic, meaningful.

How do you integrate the natural beauty of Vietnam into your work?

My main source of inspiration day after day. I believe that I just get inspiration from what’s available around me. Life brought me to Vietnam, it’s really natural that I feed my inspiration with Vietnamese influence.

From nature to culture, Vietnam is amazingly inspiring because it’s the land where everything looks possible. More than beauty, the energy here is big, in movement, and growth in a positive way. I’ve been gaining confidence in creating since I’ve been living in Vietnam.

I find inspiration in every little detail of daily life in Vietnam, from the beauty of nature to the warmth of people, to the colours of walls, to scents, to music, to art and craft. Vietnam is really the oxygen to my inspiration.

What are the key elements you incorporate into each project to make it distinctly ‘Luminary Wellness’?

I like to integrate the arts and crafts approach into each project. We honor the traditions in our creations - authentic, local, sustainable, and quite connected to the roots - even as we experiment with new concepts or reinvent the old.

At the Luminary Wellness studio, we craft inspired spaces and bring concept stories to life.

Our team guides the journey of connecting architecture, interior design, landscaping, and lighting to the wellness experience while monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the global wellness concept.  

We consider each decision to impact the space and visual identity intentionally and make conscious decisions to ensure a strong connection to the concept, experience, operation functionality, and retail integration.

Creative Direction translates the concept stories into all elements of the project: branding, interior design, retail, and sales and marketing tools.

Where do you look for inspiration?

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I’m greatly inspired by some iconic artists such as Hokusai. Pinterest and Instagram are also good sources of inspiration and reference.

I do meditation every morning and some sun salutations to ask Mother Earth to provide the best for me for the day, and to open the fields of possibilities in creativity and experiences that can make me grow. I try to be grateful for what life provides me day after day.

I need to stay connected to nature every day to feed my inspiration. I take time to walk at the beach, on the rice fields, or just spend time in my garden. My 2 kids are a great source of inspiration too. I spend time with them to connect to this fresh, original creative energy where everything is possible with no limit, no bias, just creating in the present moment.

Also, fitness is my way to release the overwhelmed, and cleanse my body. It’s really an amazing tool for my creative routine.

What are your top 3 tips for GM/Hotel owners related to the design process within wellness hospitality?

1. Having a clear creative direction as part of the development brings so much alignment, authenticity, and identity. Thus, we need to work closely with the owner and the GM in the concept development phase to build the vision and ensure the project's vision is aligned. This will facilitate smoother implementation in the operation phase.
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2. Each decision in terms of design has to be related to the original concept design lines to ensure each development is in harmony with the original vision.  Always come back to the concept lines and creative direction as guidance and support during the whole process.
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3. Pay attention and care to all the small details concerning art and deco elements, uniforms, signage, lighting, and material selection. These elements bring the “spirit of the place” and elevate the uniqueness of each project.