Madrid Flower School and Flower House present a floral congress set to redefine European design. Eight floral art icons will teach, design, and discuss avant-garde trends, sustainability, creativity, and styles shaping the global floral landscape. Madrid Blooms, organized by Sylvia Bustamente and Pili Fuentes will showcase the creativity and beauty of floral design, bringing together eight contemporary masters with floral art enthusiasts.
Invited Designers to This Year's Madrid Blooms Event
The major event, taking place from February 20-22, 2024 from 09:30 AM to 6:00 PM, will showcase the creativity and beauty of floral design by bringing together eight contemporary masters and floral art enthusiasts. Let's begin with the master list to get you excited and hyped for this magnificent event.
1. Frida Kim From London, United Kingdom
Upon stepping into London in 2012, Frida Kim fell in love with its flowers and winter gardens. Since then, her obsession has been to narrate the stories that flowers carry among their petals. Her grandmother had a fruit farm in her native Korea, and later, she had her own jewelry store in Seoul. Art and nature have always been present in her life. Frida is now one of the most renowned designers in the English capital. Her works convey warmth and depth, elegance, mastery of color, and volume. Her installations are an ode to ephemeral beauty, often using reused materials. In a statement, she shares:
“Be yourself. Use flowers as a language to tell your story.”
To know more about the work and designs, make sure to visit Frida Kim's website.
2. Nicolette Owen From New York, USA
Nicolette Owen spent a significant part of her youth immersed in nature, learning about flowers from her mother and grandmother in Hudson Valley, New York. After studying photography, she returned to her original passion and founded her company, Nicolette Camille Floral Design, in 2006. Her style emphasizes the grace and movement of flowers, drawing inspiration from natural gardens and reflecting a wild spontaneity. Nicolette conducts international workshops, co-authors the book "Bringing Nature Home" (2012), and travels wherever her clients request her presence. She excitingly expresses:
“I want people to experience the joy and beauty of a garden at its peak bloom.”
3. Holly Heider Chapple From Virginia, USA
Holly Heider Chapple started making bouquets from home with the company of her seven children and continued designing until she became a reference in the wedding industry. With enviable energy and human warmth, she is not only adored by her clients but also by a multitude of florists whom she mentors. An abundance of flowers characterizes her arrangements stems, with an exquisite variety that she now cultivates on her Hope Farm. A female entrepreneur, Holly now leads the Chapel Designers florist collective and has a line of floristry products. To have her as a florist, one must schedule the date a year in advance. The designer quotes:
“Flowers have a powerful message that everybody can see and feel."
4. Lucia Milan From São Paulo, Brazil
Lucia Milan has twenty-five years of experience in the flower industry. She started with her mother and then forged a solo career with a motto: sustainability. Hailing from São Paulo, her arrangements stand out for their originality and combination of flowers. She maximizes the use of tropical flora, seeds, and dried leaves, adding a touch with flowers from temperate climates. A trailblazer of the Tropical Nouveau style, she is a member of the Chapel Designers florist network, and Oliver Dupon highlighted her in his book 'Floral Contemporary' (2018). Her statement is:
“I want my designs to exude romance so that when someone sees them, they experience something tremendously poetic.”
5. Louise Worner From Brussels, Belgium
Louise studied Ikebana at the Sogetsu School, one of the most important in Tokyo, Japan. In the year 2000, twelve years after starting, she obtained her Master's Certificate from Hiroshi Teshigahara, the son of the founder. What began as a hobby turned into a profession that takes her around the world. She collaborates with artists and creates installations, eager to integrate traditional Japanese art into various artistic domains. One of her passions is teaching Ikebana to children, and she has just published 'My First Ikebana' in 2023.
“In Ikebana, we do the maximum with nothing. I don't impose my ego on the flowers. If anything, I hope viewers see the beauty in the simplicity of my designs.”
6. Inés Urquijo From Madrid, Spain
Floral designer Inés Urquijo avoids anything ordinary because her essence is a wild forest. Simply put, she rearranges the silhouettes of branches, scatters flowers grown in her garden, and distributes climbing or hanging plants on walls and ceilings. Her landscaping vein is evident in the use of greens and foliage. The love for architecture and the arts is reflected in the use of glass and mirrors. Appreciating her setups requires stepping back a bit and allowing oneself to be enveloped by naked nature. Self-taught, dreamy, passionate. Her hands recreate something that only she sees. She recently shared:
“Actually, I don't have a favorite project. Surely, my son's wedding in a forest has been very special for me, where I could capture his childhood.”
7. Alejandra Romero From Granda, Spain
The talented floral designer from Granada has been merging floral art with emotions since 2017, highlighting the beauty of imperfection. Her organic compositions, full of movement and texture, reflect a concern for the smallest details. Alejandra achieves experiences where delicacy and sophistication are in perfect balance. Originally from Colombia, Alejandra Romero loves architecture and fashion as her sources of inspiration. She is meticulous in her processes, plays with light and shadow, and not even tropical flowers resist her.
“Playing with the coordination of colors, shapes, concepts... Appreciating the value of small details and elevating them makes a difference in the staging of an event.”
8. Milena Orlandi from Ribeirão Claro, Brazil
Milena Orlandi is a photographer, florist, and instructor at Madrid Flower School. Although she started taking classes as therapy, she soon realized the great creative potential that flowers possess. For her, it is essential to work with soft but contrasting tones and play with the repetition of a few varieties in creating volumes, preferably small. She points out two fundamental elements for developing her contemporary style: her knowledge of Ikebana and her teaching classes. As she gets ready for Madrid Blooms 2024, she expresses:
"One of the most significant experiences in my career has been teaching; it was a way to understand my own work. And I learn a lot from my students as well."
Detailed Information About What You'll Experience at the Madrid Blooms Event
On the first day of Madrid Blooms, starting on February 20th, you'll learn about designing wisely. Insightful information about Ikebana and its incorporation into contemporary art, and how age-old techniques play a pivotal role in the accomplishments in the world of modern art will be dictated. Demonstrations and discussions will be available during the day, and on the other hand, during the night, there will be a workshop with a chosen floral designer.
On day two of the Madrid Blooms Flower Design Congress, as an attendee you will master the creative process of floristry. You'll learn about what the trade secrets of great florists are. What goes into planning a destination wedding? How to create a floral arrangement that is a true piece of art? As with day one, the same agenda follows for day and night.
With the event concluding on February 22nd, the third day of the Flower Congress focuses on the magic of volume. You'll be able to dive straight into work on an installation with the designers. Expand your skill set with high-quality materials. Set-up, visualization, and design of a themed floral installation, with the designer of your choice.
Investment and Location Details
Planning on attending this year's Madrid Blooms event? Here is some important information you must know before. The investment for the congress is €1890 for 20 hours of workshops and demonstrations plus flowers, materials, and tools. The event will take place at the Madrid Design Festival, located at Fundación Giner de los Ríos: Institución Libre De Enseñanza, P.º del Gral. Martínez Campos, 14, Chamberí, 28010 Madrid, Spain.
Partners of the Flower Design Congress
These three companies will be partnering with Madrid Flower School to make the most of this flowering event.
Phoam Labs
Dundee Butcher, an American florist, moved to California concerned about floral foam waste. There, with a polymer student and Professor Marc Hillmyer from the University of Minnesota, they founded Phoam Labs, Inc. (formerly BKB Floral). They developed a sustainable plant-based floral foam, patented in 2022, winning the MN Cup 2022 for its compostability. In 2023, Phoam Labs expanded into sustainability in controlled environment agriculture. Their current focus is achieving a completely sustainable product life cycle.
Floraprima
Floraprima was born in 2023 as an extension brand of Rosaprima, dedicated to representing special flowers. Since 1995, they have been producing the most luxurious roses in the market, focusing on quality, ingenuity, and a passion for beauty. Madrid Blooms' students will have the honor of working with their new collection of ranunculus and anemones.
Alexandra Farms
Alexandra Farms is a boutique grower specializing in nostalgic and romantic flowers located in Bogotá, Colombia. Founded by Joey Azout in 2005 and named in honor of his daughter, the farm manually produces garden roses and dahlias in an ideal environment of warm days and cool nights in the Andes.
Ready to spend three fabulous days at Madrid Blooms? It'll be an unforgettable experience!
Photos courtesy of Madrid Flower School.
