In the Spotlight: Featured uBloomer, Dodie Sy

Dodie was chosen by the uBloom Community as the "People’s Choice" winner in the recent Design Master Contest with his unique and inspiring Modern European Garden Hedge design. He is the Creative Director (Plus…salesman, administrator, flower processor, bucket and vase technician:) of Brassavolas Floral Couture located in Chino, CA where he also currently resides.How did you get started in the floral business?My mother was working at a local chain florist. I was studying Interior Design at that time and I needed to get a job to pay for my second year tuition so, she got me a job doing sales and flower processing. From there, I started doing flower arrangements on my own learning from watching the designers do their thing.Did you receive any formal schooling/training?I didn’t go to school for flower design, I guess I learned by looking through flower arrangement catalogs and magazines. When I was still in High School, I entered The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s "Interior Designer of Tomorrow" contest for a full year scholarship to the college.What is your favorite flower?It varies from season to season. At the moment I have a love affair with Viburnum, Cymbidium Orchids, Parrot Tulips and Sweetpeas.What do you enjoy MOST about working with flowers/being a florist and what aspect seems to be hardest or least desirable?What I enjoy most about what I do is the fact that I wake up every morning and I don’t have that "Do I HAVE to go to work?" feeling. It doesn’t feel like work! But don’t get me wrong- being a florist is hard work. Yeah, we do work in an environment that is very pleasant, I mean it’s flowers! But what people don’t see is that it’s such a messy job! You’re on you feet the whole day, especially when doing set-ups for weddings or special events. It takes weeks of preparation! The least desirable aspect of being a florist is coming across people who don’t understand the world of Floristry. I always get, "Oh whats so hard about working with flowers?" So, I try to educate them and inform them about it.How have your International Travels and Interior Design Studies enhanced and influenced your floral designing?Both Traveling and Interior Design has helped me understand design in general and how it’s concepts are utilized in other cultures. Feng-Shui, colors, space planning and most importantly, the Principles or Design vary for different countries. This has helped me when I’m designing flowers at a venue that has a rich architectural integrity…you don’t want to compete with it, but you do want to enhance the inherent beauty of the space. Over the years of designing, I have been asked to design flower in the Moorish Style, Japanese Ikebana, European Garden, Traditional American, Tropical Hawaiian and Parisian Couture. Though the designs have different aesthetic to them, I always make sure that I put my own style into it.If you could design your dream event or wedding (with NO budget limits:), what would it look like?This is a tough one! I know for sure that I DON"T want it to look stuffy or overdone- like slapping your guests with wads of hundred dollar bills!I envision it being a three day, Springtime wedding affair in Italy, in a villa with mature orange trees, so the air will be perfumed with the scent of Orange Blossoms.Tables will be draped in Organic linen in Ivory, natural Chiavari Chairs, antique silverware, crisp white china and Mason jars for water and recycled glass goblets for wine. Centerpieces will be kept low in clay urns overflowing with Clematis, Kumquats on the branch, Orange and Peach Garden Roses and exotic Lady Slipper Orchids. This will be surrounded with recycled candle hurricane glass vases in an amber hue and the candles used will be natural bees wax, so that they have a slight scent of honey.The surrounding trees will be decorated with mouth blown glass lanterns in the shape of a pitcher plant (Nepenthes) in a frosted amber coloration, so that it looks like it’s growing from the trees!The ceremony will be in a very old church. The aisle will be lined with large 18 foot "Orange trees" hand crafted from a collection of Giant Ghost wood, moss, foliage and fresh oranges. The altar will be tastefully decorated with floral arrangements that look like they’re growing from the structures. The Bride will be carrying a bouquet of Lady Slipper Orchids and Orange Blossoms just picked that morning. This is probably a dream wedding for me!What are your favorite flowers, materials and colors to work with?My designs are greatly influenced by the season, so for Spring, my staple flowers are: Lilacs, Parrot Tulips, Viburnum, Cymbidium Orchids, Variegated Lily Grass, Ornamental Kale, Asclepias, Longiflorum Lilies and of course, foliage in varying textures! Year round I love branches!You are a young designer that has achieved a top role in the business you work for AND you have established yourself as a gifted designer…what do you attribute your early success to?My parents for leading by example. They owned successful businesses in the Philippines from Automotive Parts to International Home Furnishings, so I was exposed to this environment as a young age. Being a designer, I get that from going on business trips with my mother to Japan, Hong King, USA, Thailand, etc. to purchase furniture to import to the Philippines. I didn’t get the flower thing though, until when I started working in a flower shop in 1999.Who/what is your inspiration or influence for your designs and creativity?I get inspired by a lot of things. The season, the occasion, my mood. One thing is always present in my designs and that is a strong organic feeling. I don’t like flower arrangements that looks sterile. It always has to be modern, natural and beautiful.Which designer(s) would you love to work with and/or study under?Christian Tortu, Per Benjamin, Hitomi Gilliam, Tomas De Bruyne and Daniel Ost.What is your favorite trade magazine and/or book that you can’t live without?I try really hard not to buy magazines! I read it once and that’s it! So, I read blogs of florist friends all over the world. Books that have influenced me and made an impact earlier in my career are: Martha Stewart Weddings, Zen Flowers -Harumi Nishi, Wedding Flowers -Paula Pryke, Flower Power -Rebecca Cole and Fantasy Weddings -Preston BaileyWhat is the most unusual thing/material you have used in a design you have made?Dried Mushrooms, Manzanita Root, Monkey Pods and Colius Leafs. I tend to use more classic flowers and apply them in a unique and unusual way.If you could design for a celebrity/famous person, WHO would it be and WHAT would you design?I don’t have one in mind, but whoever they are, I’ll be at their service as long as they don’t make their wedding a huge media circus! It totally defeats the purpose!Describe the venue and decor of a favorite floral design job you have done.It was at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach, CA. The hotel itself is so elegant without being to ritzy! The people are super nice -which is odd for an upscale venue. The flowers were vivid Orchid Purple and Lime Green. Tall centerpieces were made of hundreds of Dendrobium Orchids while the chairs and linens were kept white. After the set-up was done, I stopped and realized "I’m a real Wedding Florist now!"Do you have a story that you would like to share about your job, a client…etc?During Valentines Day or Mothers Day week, whenever we would have to stay late making arrangements, I would buy a case of Redbull or any Energy drink for my designers and me. After about 15 minutes, all you would hear is hysterical laughter and jokes! It makes staying later much more fun!!!What is the most unusual floral/decor request you have received?I haven’t really had any. But I think it was a Bride requesting Sunflowers and Daisy’s for her wedding…the one and only wedding I did with those flowers throughout my years in the business!!!Any tips on handling bridezilla, momzilla or a controlling, obsessive or cheapo client?HAHA! I love this question! My advice is to keep your composure and keep in mind that, just because they’re customers, we as florists are also human beings and that we make mistakes! When I used to work for Pizza Hut as a manager, I dealt with complaints and I found that the best way to handle them is first…never admit to the problem, but do acknowledge that there is a problem. Be genuine to resolve the problem and offer solutions. Make sure that your contract is solid with signatures and every detail listed, so that on the morning of the wedding and your bridezilla is breathing fire down your neck, you can just slap her face with the contract!Do you have any interesting mechanics "tips" to pass along to other florists?Just make sure it’s all hidden! I can’t stand it when I see mechanics (ask my assistants!)What are some of your future goals or aspirations?For my business to be busy enough that I can hire more people, help out the community and educate people about flowers. I want to establish a flower design school focusing on European techniques and design aesthetics. I have a goal to win the Sylvia Cup Award! I also want to help my parents with their retirement. Eventually, I would like to travel all over the world as a floral design educator, consultant etc. I want my name to be synonymous to impeccable floral designs.When you aren’t designing flowers, you are...Well, I consider floral designing both my career and my hobby! I also like to sing… I used to sing in High School and College Choirs. Cooking, working out, running, Facebooking (is that a hobby?) are other things I like to do.