Krisha, Kaylene, Katie Militante - Diosa Blooms
Diosa Blooms is a Filipina flower shop and sari sari based in the Mission in San Francisco, CA. A Filipinx owned, sister owned business, Diosa Blooms opened in 2018 by sisters Krisha, Kaylene, and Katie Militante. Named Diosa because it means goddess in both Tagalog and Spanish languages (with slightly different spellings), their website notes, “As diosas, we encourage all to bring out their inner diosa (goddess). We believe anyone can be Diosa by continuously loving and nurturing our highest and best selves, and by empowering others to do the same.” Diosa Bloom’s arrangements are bright and feminine, vibrant and beautiful. They work with care and recognize the value of creating arrangements with seasonal and local blooms, sourced locally from the Bay Area and also from around California. A favorite for all is anthurium, which is a house plant and a flower. It comes in many different colors and shapes, making a statement in every bouquet.
Each sister holds different roles: floral design, styling, business and administration, sourcing, purchasing. They are a partnership that works together with honesty and love. And their dynamic is beautiful. “I have three sisters, we are all here for each other. If you ask them the same question I think we would all say the same thing: we're all here for each other and are here to call each other out on any problems we have each other, we bring out the best in each other and uplift each other,'“ shared Kaylene. Diosa Blooms is a family business. “It is fun working with family. At the end of the day, maybe one hour after we are closed, and everyone is saying “bye,” “see you later,” “love you,” like it's really like I don't know how to explain it, it's just the way I could feel. Everyone is greeting everyone hello and goodbye, and how much we all just get along working together.”
Their Filipinx culture can definitely be seen in their shop. Both Krisha and Katie were involved in Filipino organizations at school, and they loved connecting with their roots. This connection can be seen in their inspired flower arrangements. Diosa Blooms carries Philippines goddess arrangements, inspired by Philippines deities and named after the goddess including the goddess of wind - Anitun Tabu, and the goddess of love - Dian Masalanta. Diosa Blooms also has Filipino snack arrangements inspired by dried mangoes (with gorgeous roses the vivid color of mangoes), shrimp chips (which includes a bag of shrimp chips!), and halo halo (a true mix mix of colors, flowers, sizes). They even created a pokemon arrangement inspired by their childhood.
It is very meaningful to have a Filipinx owned flower shop in San Francisco. “There’s a long history of Filipinos being pushed out of San Francisco. I think it definitely says a lot for us and our community to be here, and to be in the Mission in San Francisco. We see it a lot when people are coming in to the shop and people that message on Instagram. It makes a difference to see yourself in a business, at Filipina flower shop that's here in the City. We have a lot of friends that come by and we appreciate that Diosa Blooms is something that we can do for people by just existing,” explained Kaylene.
Along with flowers, Diosa Blooms is so much more. Diosa also carries plants. “We love plants and I think that’s how we all connected. We would share what plants we owned, how to take care of plants, and see our progress in nurturing plants.” They are a gift shop that carries chocolates, candles, and cards, making sure to work with local vendors and highlight their products.
Coming up for Diosa Blooms are virtual floral classes where you can learn to arrange flowers at home, a 30 day project of creativity, and they are also transforming their space into a beautiful spectacle of installations for people to see, appreciate, experience, and be photographed in.
diosablooms.com
@diosablooms
All photos by Khariza Rae Photography