Florint and the Royal Dutch Florist Association (VBW) excitedly invite you to the Florint World Championship Floral Art 2025, which will take place in the Netherlands, the hub of international floriculture from August 28 to 31, 2025, in The Hague. The event will be one of the most anticipated in the floral world, attracting the finest talents to demonstrate their extraordinary work. Among this year’s standouts is Säde Alanen, an expert florist from Finland with a deep-rooted connection to the industry. As she prepares for this high-stakes event, Säde's innovative techniques and design will make her a competitor to watch closely. In this interview, she shares more of her path, the influences that drive her work, and her thoughts leading into this prestigious competition.
From Roots to Recognition - Säde Alanen's Creative Evolution
Every flower artist's career is uniquely personal, shaped by their experiences and influences. For many, it begins with a simple fascination with flowers, but it eventually develops into a passion for producing art that influences people's lives. The journey to becoming a floral designer is frequently as organic as the flowers themselves, beginning with early exposure to nature and culminating in a defining moment of flower work. Today, the amazing Säde shares more about how she transformed a passion for flowers into a thriving career in floral design. She contently shares:
"Already in Grammar school, it was clear that I would become a Landscape gardener and start a company in that industry. The business plan was also ready, so I ended up as a student at the Horticulture School in which basic studies also included floristry. The floristry lessons were super fun, but I hadn't come to school to do floristry. I was very determined even at a young age, and I tried to stick to my original plan. For a few months, I struggled until I gave up. I noticed that cut flowers and working with them attracted me, and my love for them quickly ignited. I realized quite fast, that I was not going to be a Landscape gardener, but a florist.
I found out that, working with flowers is a way that, I could express myself. I was able to put my creativity and all the ideas in floristry and play with the flowers. In particular, Cut flowers were fascinating and still fascinate me a lot. The limited durability of cut flowers and the changing selection of seasonal flowers bring art to my work. I graduated as a Gardener in the Competence area of Floristry and Horticultural Business (2011), a Florist (2014), and later a Masterflorist in 2020. Already in Horticulture school, I got in touch with several floristry competitions, to which nowadays, in just over ten years, I have participated in dozens of competitions and have been very successful. I consider three consecutive Finnish championships from 2019, 2021, and 2023 to be my greatest achievement."
"It is extremely important for me to constantly develop myself, for which competitions are a great way. I am currently 32 years old. I have worked as a floristry teacher for the last few years and also worked as an entrepreneur. Together with my two sisters, I have the company 'Kultahehku Oy', which mainly makes wonderful cakes. I do floristry work for customers and do a lot of wedding floristry. However, I don't have a traditional flower shop. I only work with preorders. The biggest part of my work consists of making cakes. So, my story is a little different than many others! The fact that I don't work with flowers every day is fine with me. I feel that this way my creativity is at its best. I hold different floristry demos in Finland a few times a year. I actively influence our industry, and I like to influence the development of our industry. I feel it is important to contribute to the good of our industry."
The Story Behind Her Decision to Compete in the 2025 World Cup Floral Art
During the interview, Säde was also asked about her decision to compete in such an incredible competition.
"I have been competing for a long time, already 14 years. I have almost 30 competitions behind me. I have international competition experience from the EuroSkills (2012) and WorldSkills (2013, bronze) competitions. When I was young, I dreamed that one day I would participate in the 'adult' world championships. However, I buried my dream at an early stage, because I have extremely poor English language skills. When I won the third consecutive Finnish championship in 2023, I thought it was now or never. I talked to former competitors, and they were encouraging. Language skills are not an obstacle! I also have a family, 9- and 8-year-old boys and a girl who is just over a year old. Many questioned whether the time was right for such a big project. I believe the right time will never come.
I even won the Finnish championship, even though our girl was only 4 months old. My husband and family support me in everything I decide to do. That's why the decision to apply for a place in the competition was surprisingly easy in the end. In Finland, the competitor was selected based on applications. I sent my application and got a place. I am grateful for the opportunity and will give the project my all."
Q: You are known for pushing the boundaries of creativity. How do you do that? And how would you describe your signature style? What sets your floral designs apart from others?
Säde:
"I like to do big, decorative floristry works with lots of flowers. In my floral design work, every single flower has its own place, and my works are transparent in design. I respect all flowers and use them according to their natural movements and character. I love making different constructs or frames and creating them myself while trying to constantly develop new ways to implement things. I strive to ensure that my works contain plenty of well-thought-out details. So, you can't see everything at once, but you must study the work for a longer time. I don't have a clear style, material, etc., which is strongly visible in my work. My style is not clearly recognizable because I want to be a versatile florist who can do many different things. I could even say that versatility is my absolute strength."
The Meaning of Participating in a World Cup for Säde Alanen
During floral competitions, florists are encouraged to take their designs to new heights by combining handiwork and innovation, all while reflecting their country and culture. The event allows each participant to elevate their creations to the ranks of floral masters. But what does the World Cup Floral Art mean to Säde personally and professionally? How does she see it impacting her career?
"The upcoming competition will be the biggest challenge of my professional career. Even participating in competitions means reaching a certain level for me. I think the World Cup Floral Art will be the pinnacle of my career. I can't say if I will compete again after this. This might be my last competition, but better never say never. In this competition, I will participate only once. That's why I'm approaching the project with 110 percent passion, and I'm going to make the most of it. I want to improve in certain areas, challenge myself, and show my skills to the whole world. I think this competition is primarily a great opportunity, an experience that cannot be found on many CVs."
Nonetheless, during the interview, we asked her about her creative process and what inspires her designs while sharing how she translated this into her work. She said:
"I get inspired by everything around me because I draw a lot from Finland's wonderful nature, art, fashion, new phenomena in various fields, or even my children's toys. You can see beauty in everything around you and you can use it with flowers. It can be a single thing: color, texture, shape, or some interesting material. I often find inspiration in a hardware store or, for example, at a flea market. Something new or old that you can use to create something unprecedented. My design projects often take a different route. So, there is not one same formula for all! Sometimes I approach the work with the flowers first and sometimes with the structure or technical solution first. It is important to me that my own vision is the core of everything I create. For me, floristry is a way of expressing myself. For someone else, it's music or something else."
Floral Frenzy - Inside the Fierce Competition of the World Cup
The competition is fierce and everyone knows that. So how do florists handle the pressure and maintain their focus during such a high-stakes event?
Säde said:
"It has always been important for me to just focus on what I do and give my everything to my design work. I feel that in competitions I always primarily compete against myself, not against others. In my opinion, the floristry art competition is very different from, let’s say, long jump. No measuring tape tells the absolute truth. The jury judges floristry based on their views. Of course, all judging is based on doctrines, but there is no single and absolute truth in floristry art. I have great respect and appreciation for all my competitors. I feel that we are one big family, all of whom, in their own way, want to spread the happy message of flowers. I want to believe that we will all be on the same line in August 2025. The better we all succeed in the competition, the better it will be for our industry.
On the other hand, I am committed to the project for a year and there are specific dates. These dates will guide my life for the next year. August 2025 is marked on the calendar in capital letters. I don't see a challenge in maintaining motivation because I feel a great fire for floristry and the coming competition, and I don't think the flame will suddenly go out. After the competition, we'll know what level I'm really at.
I have competed a lot and have lots of experience. I feel that I can withstand tight spots, and I am not easily swayed. My roots and my family have raised me strong. I have always been encouraged to pursue my own dreams and it's great to see that I'm now on my way to my biggest dream. A mental coach also helps me on my journey. We are working on things with him so that I am as strong as possible at the starting line."
Q: What do you hope to achieve through this competition, beyond winning the title? Are there any messages or themes you're hoping to convey through your work?
Säde:
"If my work causes a 'wow' reaction in even one person, I have succeeded. With my floral work, I want to evoke joy and emotions in people. I strive to make my floristry works suitable for the themes of the competition tasks. It would be great to find new acquaintances and possibly new collaborators from the competition itself. In my opinion, expanding networks is always one of the ideas of these competitions. Find like-minded people around the world."
Staying Up to Date With Trends and Innovative Techniques
The Finnish floral designer was asked how she stays updated and elevates her innovative game in an industry that's always evolving.
Q: Are there any particular trends or movements in floral design that excite you?
"I follow a lot of different fields and the innovations that emerge from them. My absolute favorite is watching the 'Bocuse d'Or' cooking competitions. It's interesting to see how they use colors, composition, etc. when preparing food. In my opinion, trends, and fashion in the world guide our industry a lot. Art and architecture also tell us about the phenomena of our time. Changes in different industries help to stay innovative in this industry as well. When everything else around us is developing and moving on, we can't stand still.
At the moment there is a lot of talk everywhere about green values. Our industry would have a lot to do with these. Making some great construction or frame can be nice, but where does it end up? Is it hazardous waste - in the bin? We use a lot of iron wire and floral foam, which are bad solutions for nature."
Additionally, she shares a bit more of her Finnish culture and what it's been like to work with flowers in this country.
"Here in Finland, flowers are valuable/expensive. This is also why we are already taught to respect flowers at school. We can't put a huge amount of flowers on a bouquet, but we have to learn to use them skillfully and show the characteristics of flowers so that the customer feels that he is getting value for money. For me and many others, it can be difficult to 'shred' a Phalaenopsis orchid and, for example, use the petals. Nowadays, I can do this in competitions if I have to."
"In Finland, the use of flowers has increased since supermarkets started selling flowers. It is no longer just the luxury product it used to be. This is great and offers an opportunity for specialization. We florists must offer products that the supermarkets do not offer. Nature is rich in Finland; I live surrounded by forests and fields and we have thousands of lakes in Finland. 5.7 million people live in our country and according to research, we are the happiest nation in the world. This all affects how I see the world and what I bring to my work."
Beyond the Bouquet and Visioning the Next Chapter in the Floral World
To finish this insightful interview, we asked Säde where she sees herself and her floral art in the next few years along with what her dreams and goals post-World Cup are, and she answered:
"I don't have huge dreams. I don't dream of world stardom or traveling around the world with flowers. Of course, if such opportunities ever arise, I'm sure I won't be the first to turn these opportunities down. I have been teaching floristry for a few years. Maybe I'll go back to being a vocational teacher in floristry again after the competitions. I think it's great and fulfilling to share my knowledge and see the growth of new professionals in the industry. It would be great if I could become a 'National Certified Judge in Floristry/Florint' in Finland and act as a judge in competitions. National Skills, Euro Skills, and World Skills competitions are important events for me in the future, and I hope to be involved in them in some way. Maybe I'll hold floral demos around Finland and hopefully inspire people in our industry and give them new ideas."
Photos courtesy of Säde Alanen.
