WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE FLORISTRY WORLD STARt?

My background is in graphic design. I have been interested in art for many years and originally wanted to become an architect. Architecture is very challenging though and can be very dry, so I decided to take a graphic design degree instead. I did this in Brazil where I am from and worked there as a graphic designer for 5 years before coming to the UK.

I didn’t actually work properly with flowers until I came to London, although my mum is a florist and had a flower business in the Brazil. The world of flowers seemed far too crazy for me when I was young, but now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

do you have signature style?

This is a difficult question for me, because I don’t have a signature style personally - I like all styles of floristry. This made it very easy to create the school though, because we teach all styles within the school. This is very different from workshops where the florist running the workshop has a particular style and people attend it because of this.

Also, at LFS we try to vary floristry styles as much as possible. There are styles I am more connected with, but I am very open to being creative, so I try not to limit myself. I am however, more drawn to the message that is conveyed through the arrangement than the arrangement itself. I believe this comes from my background in Ikebana which I have been studying for 5 years.

What do you think of the use of floral foam?

There has been, quite rightly, a lot of discussion around the use of floral foam in the floristry industry. Since its invention in the US in the 1950’s it has become the primary mechanics for most floral arrangements, especially in weddings and events where time is short and profits are small. I personally believe though that the industry will move away from floral foam in the future. Not only, because of the evidence that will emerge related to its lack of biodegradability, but also more generally, because it restricts the natural nature of floral arrangements, and also limits creativity.

how do you see in the future of floristry?

I believe that the future of floristry lies in self-expression. A true artist in any field is never concerned about what others think about what they have created. They have created, and that is what is important.

Florists; artists; creatives in general need to express themselves through their art without the restriction of trends. This should be and hopefully will be the future of floristry.