Victor Flores is passionate about floristry. He is a man with an impeccable track record as a florist and enjoys great popularity at a continental level. Among his achievements is the decoration of Chile’s Palacio de la Moneda for the inauguration of the Estée Lauder Companies’ breast cancer awareness campaign; decoration made with recycled material for the Open Kennedy Shopping Center (part of Falabella’s real estate arm); as well as many weddings of prominent personalities, festivals and many other events.
To get to know Víctor Flores a little more, we talked a little and this is what he told us:
-What are the main trends in sustainable floral decoration that you have observed currently?
-Sustainable decoration itself is a trend. If you refer to styles there is not much to explore, because we can only find few variants from its more contemporary professionalization.
Some styles are as follows: Ikebana, which dates back to the beginnings of Buddhism in Japan and flower offerings. The Garden or English style, which dates back to the 1930s, its precursor is Constance Spry, a style that I currently manage to perfection and this style is inspired by Dutch paintings from the 17th century, they include fruits or other plant elements to texture and provide color. . Modern style, inspired by Nordic and minimalist architecture. Contemporary style, highly demanded in hotels and design stores, is characterized by using only 1 or 2 varieties of flowers. Conceptual design, present on catwalks, showcases, presentations, contests and floral festivals, involves multiple techniques and styles. Designers may specialize in one or more styles, but none of those styles are necessarily gifted with being sustainable, with the exception of ikebana.
-How do you incorporate sustainability in your floral designs and event production?
-First of all, preferring suppliers that are certified as sustainable, if we are talking about large production farms and also buying from small local organic producers. The second thing is the correct separation of inorganic solid waste from compostable waste and its correct treatment. The use of sustainable design techniques is essential, I try to reduce the use of floral foam to the minimum possible, replacing it with multi-use elements and/or natural substitutes, such as moss, branches, leaves and stems. It is essential that wages are consciously paid that allow the sustainable development of our industry and that the value and production chains feel that they are being compensated for their good practices.
-What are the benefits of using sustainable flowers and floral elements in events and decoration?
-The benefits are projected in the long term, it is intended for the next generations; less solid waste, less plastic production and fewer polyurethane microparticles in our seafood. But none of the above compares to the pleasure of giving back to Mother Earth what she gives us to sustain ourselves economically.
-Can you share examples of projects in which you have applied sustainability principles in your floral designs?
-All my projects are carried out in a sustainable way: Correct separation of solid waste. Use of natural materials to maintain the hydration of cut stems. The use and preference of seasonal flowers, which involve less watering before harvest. The individual valorization of each flower stem and its correct and purposeful use. Fair payments and remunerations to all agents in the production chain.
