ANTHONY MASLO

Anthony Maslo, also known as The Boy Who Cried Flowers, has been adding his exuberant touch to floral installations throughout the Southland.

A master of color and movement, Anthony’s keen eye for detail has led him to collaborations with many of LA’s top design firms, including The Flower Boy Project and Wild Flower Boom.

Anthony got in the world of flowers because he always been involved with colors, he used to be a hair stylist but he felt that his life needed a change and just by doing some research about what florists do he knew that was the path he has to choose.

REGINE MOTMANS

Floral Business Connector at Thursd.com
Art Director Fleuramour, for Fleur Creatif.
Floral Designer and Teacher floral design, my own business Floregineel

For the past two years I’ve been working for Thursd.com. As their Floral Business connector. I connect: Floral designers to growers, growers to breeders, breeders to the market for ideas,… The floral online meetup spot Thursd.com brings all those together. I can assure you: it’s hot!

You just have to follow us! #thursdofficial #followthursd

DEBORAH DE LA FLOR

Her passion and enthusiasm are unparalleled and her ability to connect with others about the flowers she loves so much is unmatched.
This passion has taken her around the world sharing her love for the industry through design presentations as both competitor and judge.

In 1983 Deborah was named the Greater Miami Designer of the Year & Florida State Designer of the Year.
She is a member of FTD’s Design Instructor and Education Team and an FTD certified judge.
In 2006 she was inducted into the Professional Floral Communicators – International.

Deborah is a certified judge for AIFD and FTD. She´s been the judge for several competitions of the industry.

In 2000 Deborah and her husband Gus, moved their store (De La Flor Florist & Gardens) to a larger facility in neighboring Cooper City, FL and added a full-service nursery & garden center. Deborah has also published a book on corsage and boutonniere design – titled “Florsages”.

Her knowledge of the industry as well as her ability to anticipate and influence the latest floral trends has led to consulting work for some of the floral industry’s biggest names.

LAILAH AKHTARI
Los Angeles

Rumi & Sadies Wholesale Floral Supply and Gifts started out as a passion project in the midst of the pandemic for Nurse Sadie who sought out a channel for her creativity.

Having served extensively as a nurse and nursing clinical educator, she decided to take a risk by resigning from the health care industry at Kaiser Permanente to pursue a life long dream of entrepreneurship, with a focus on creating beautiful spaces. “Long Before pursuing a career in healthcare, dreamed of one day owning my own business. I envisioned creating beautiful spaces.

As it turned out, I have become a facilitator to what I envisioned. It is incredibly fulfilling to have the ability to continue to serve my community by supplying and scaling small businessess with unique floral vessels and gift items at incredibly competitive prices,” states.

She brings her love for teaching to her social media platforms by creating inspiring content for her audience. In addition, she is a facilitator to floral workshops and soon plans to have e-workshops available on her website.

“Entrepreneurship is really quite dynamic. One can create a business from multiple realms that they are passionate about. The adage : ‘Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,’ definitely holds true. It has been a lot of fun so far. It is my hope that I can plant the seeds of entrepreneurship and inspire as many as I can along the way.”

NATIEKA GREEN
Miami

Natieka Green is the Owner and Principal Designer at The Soirèe Aesthetic Floral Design and Event Styling, a boutique floral design studio specializing in bespoke arrangements.

While her clients know and love her for her dreamy, ethereal bohemian designs and use of dried and preserved stems, Natieka’s favorite design style meets at the intersection of luxe and fine art and portrays sophisticated, refined ostentation. She inherited her love of flowers from her late maternal grandmother who had the most beautiful flower garden in the entire parish of Trelawny, Jamaica.

Tourists would come from the main ports of Ocho Rios, Negril, and Montego Bay to the countryside of Trelawny to see Mrs. Nini’s beautiful flowers, particularly her showstopping gladiolus. Miss Green’s academic and professional background is in Allied Health.

Although her corporate career in health and sales was flourishing, she identified the unmet internal need to do something creative and, from there, she began to hone her floral skills. While she has had a wealth of excellent formal training, much of her development has come from old fashioned self practice.

Those skills have allowed her to freelance and, eventually, open her own studio in 2018.
Throughout her time as an entrepreneur, Natieka has worked with clients from Getty Images to the Haig Club Whiskey brand. She is excited for the future and continuing to beautify her clients’ events and lives through The Soirèe Aesthetic.

RACHEL CLARK
New York

Rachel Clark, originally from Cheshire, Connecticut moved to New York City 8 years ago in search of a life where passion and work collide simultaneously. Upon leaving her career in the photography fashion industry, she ventured into the unknown and found herself immersed in the colorful and vivacious world of fleurs.

In 2019 Rachel founded DEAREST RACHEL, an Impressionism floral design company focussing on events, weddings, installations and set design. Inspired by the beauty and imperfect aspects of nature and a desire to evoke an emotion and a sense of wonder, DEAREST RACHEL designs are a form of art and experience they wish to share with you across NYC, the Hamptons and beyond.

In the past few years, DEAREST RACHEL has cultivated relationships with socialites, influencers and celebrities as well as New York City’s most popular restaurants, venues and global fashion and beauty brands. Rachel recently was chosen to compete amongst the top ten florists in America on HBOMAX Full Bloom season 2. Rachel resides in her Brooklyn, New York home studio and eagerly looks forward to an exciting budding and floral future.

BETHANY PARKER
Dallas

I am a wife and mother of two, born in Oklahoma, lived in Virginia and currently reside in Texas.

I started my floral career in 2005 in Blacksburg, Virginia. My appreciation and love for flowers and flora began as a child by my mother’s side watching her create arrangements for our home, friends and family events.

In 2005, I began managing Best Wishes Flowers & Gifts in Blacksburg, Virginia.

While working there for 7 years I learned of my love for floral design and the boutique retail business.

Hometown Mercantile/HM Petals is our local hometown florist, boutique gift shop where we focus on our products and services giving back and inspiring all who shop at Hometown to be Impact Makers.
Our main business is boutique floral, gifts, and apparel.

Winner: JASON LLOYD
(Byjasonlloyd)

More photos of the competition

ARTICLE IN THURSD

Winner: Bibiana Duque

ARTICLE IN LULUROSES