Fleuramour experience……. through the eyes of An-Ca Events!

We felt the Fleuramour scent since last year. And it was very persistent!!! This year we felt it again…..with the same eyes, from different perspectives!

Fleuramour is a 4 days annual exhibition of floral design, held in the same period of the year, at the end of September. The “Flower Parade” is hosted by Alden Biesen castle (Bilzen, Belgium) in over 35 rooms, and in the outer courtyard of the building. This year it has reached its 21 edition and it enjoys the presence of more than 100 floristic designers and students from around the world.

 

Every year there are themes and inspiration ideas for the florist artists. This year the themes chosen are:

Fire –  expression for warmth, energy, tension, adventure, movement, danger, pride, power

Air – expression for freedom, commitment, communication, sun, shade, rain, light

Water – expression fresh, lively, flowing, cold, structural, continuous

Earth – expression for base, foundation, soft as sand and hard as rock

The Fleuramour experience is unforgettable for all those who cross its threshold: florist designers, students, volunteers, visitors. Moreover it is also a very useful experience, of charging with positive energy and especially with new information, knowledge and innovative techniques for the industry.

Besides the 100 floral creations exhibited belonging to designers worldwide, during the event there were held workshops of all kinds, from the ones for children to the ones sustained by worldwide known florist designers, demonstrations of floral art prepared  by consecrated florists, live-ins are made for Belgian radio and television, there are shops where one can sell or buy flowers, plants or other materials used in the industry. Of all the activities hosted the most spectacular is the hats’ parade (Hats day) which is held every year on the first day of the festival.

This year An-Ca Events Experience, at Fleuramour’s is a long story, started since last year, when it began to be written. And like every story, it also has a plot: Anca Ungureanu’s desire to be selected at the European Master Certification (European program for certification of Master Florists) to have her own design in the room especially designed, during this event. After several months of waiting, the desire was fulfilled and Anca was selected from hundreds of students among the 8 lucky ones to express herself artistically at a high level, on an European floristry scene. Anca Ungureanu has chosen to represent through her design the AIR – which is representative for her personality and character. A successful challenge, we say, after these days feedback, both of visitors, and of other designers present. A testimony in this regard are the words of Hitomi Gilliam, the founder, along with Tomas De Bruyne, of the European Master Certification program (EMC): “AIR was the element of Anca Ungureanu (Bucharest, Romania) to be interpreted at EMC, during Fleuramour 2016. This amazing design continues to attract a lot of the visitors’ attention, because it spins on a motorized device. In terms of design, it highlights the botanical collection, carefully designed to offer a spiralling combination, in very feminine colours. Vanda orchids mimic so perfectly, the glue structure partitioning. The David Austin roses used belong to the species “Patience”

 

Besides the experience of having her own design at Fleuramour, the emotional ties that arise between people are also important (among designers, volunteers, students), especially behind the scenes, in the days leading up to the event. For a floral designer, the most prolific, creative and effervescent period is during these days, when everyone creates, borrows ideas, smiles, humour, sleepless nights, fatigue, stress …… everything is shared here!!!

Last year, Anca has participated to the floral creations for Luncinda Maria Van der Ploeg, Boerma Instituut De Bruyne or Tomas De Bruyne. This year, she took part in the creation of several pieces of floral design for big names in the industry worldwide. This year Fleuramour enjoys also the presence of Alex Choi – winner of the World Championship, which we saw last year, evolving in Berlin.

All who pass the Fleuramour threshold, be it famous designer or a beginner, student, volunteer or visitor, all, absolutely all, live unique experiences, accumulate new information and recharge positively with the beauty, fragrance and flowers’ story. (Speaking of fragrance – the new David Austin rose varieties exhibited in the European Master Certification room have a fantastic fragrance, that I only met 20 years ago, in the courtyard of my grandmother)

The students attending the exhibition have their own exhibition space on the castle entrance esplanade. In order to be motivated, they also have various contests on the themes established this year: water, air, fire and earth.

The volunteers are many “juniors” in the field, full of aspirations, eager to affirm themselves, who can learn in 4 days, in a practical way, as much as normally would learn in months. They have the advantage of obtaining new knowledge and skills through practical activities, without paying a price for this.

Of all participating positions in the Fleuramour exhibition, we must admit, the most comfortable and without much effort is the visitor‘s position. And yes, for a few years, we have been counted among the 15,000 who passed the threshold, and yes, it is absolutely fabulous what we see, what we feel, what we live, discovering step by step all Alden Biesen castle nooks. And if you are not fond of flowers, you learn to at least like them, and if you are not passionate, at least you stop for a minute to admire, and if you both love and are passionate about flowers …….. the effect is WOW. In any part you look, you see floral design, conventional and less conventional materials, an amalgam of shapes, colours, structures that caress your look, but mostly your soul. Every design has a story – its story, which when you discover, you realize that you are already richer by a new information.

 

Most of the time it is very crowded, explainable, but without creating you discomfort, because everyone is cheerful, smiles, and enjoys, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Moreover, the ladies and gentlemen’s outfits are casual-elegant, with beautiful assorted colours with a feeling of a slightly sophisticated event.

This year Fleuramour experience was, as we wanted to be, SPECTACULAR because every fairytale in which there is a “castle” has a positive ending  and instead of “they lived happily ever after”, we promise ourselves an even more spectacular  Fleuramour 2017!