Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Chiuzzi

Hi Angie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

My parents left Argentina in the mid 80’s to start a new life here in the US after having lost everything with the government’s economic crisis. My sister and I were born in here, while my two older sisters immigrated with them. We didn’t have much, but when we were able to go back and visit family, those trips back to Argentina were like stepping into a warm hug. Asados with the whole family, laughter bouncing off the walls, and that special feeling of having two homes.

I spent most of my time growing up outside in the yard. Climbing trees, chasing butterflies, catching lizards. I would spend countless hours observing and drawing animals and insects that I’d come across. We were lucky enough to live 20 minutes from the beach, and loved learning how to swim in the waves and play in the water. I always dreamed of being a surfer, so the first chance I got – a job, an old car, and a second-hand surfboard – I was out there. Learning to surf wasn’t easy but it felt like uncovering a part that always lived inside of me.

The ocean became my compass. I couldn’t fathom a life that wasn’t dedicated at least partly in the ocean. I think that connection with nature blossomed into designing with flowers. For the past decade, I’ve been a florist, focusing on creating arrangements and installations for special events and weddings. Every arrangement I create becomes a practice of further discovery of life and what I feel inspired by.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

For seven years, I poured my life and heart into a floral design business with a partner. Building something from the ground up takes immense dedication, and when the partnership dissolved, it really shook me. It was a really tough lesson and one that invited me to look inward and evaluate how I wanted to show up moving forward, and who I wanted to surround myself with.

It’s been an incredible gift and journey to be able to start fresh and dream about a new trajectory. I’m finally building a floral design business that truly reflects my vision. It’s a different path, one paved with the lessons learned, but also the practice of creating on my own terms, with what feels true to me in the moment, and the grace of learning so much along the way. This new venture is allowing me to discover parts of myself, explore my creativity in a new way, and is continually teaching me to release my judgements of myself and others. Starting fresh means facing a lot of unknowns, trusting myself in ways where I used to shut down, and learning to be more graceful and forgiving with myself. It’s been one of the most freeing experiences of my life.

I am so grateful for the humans I’ve met along the way with this great leap. My partner being one of them. He has taught me so much about myself through this process, and is one of the greatest blessings of my life!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I always consider myself being in process, which I feel proud about! Floral design for weddings and special events has taught me that – practicing staying open, fluid, and perceptive will bring the most unique designs to life. Practicing this for me is a true representation of my heart’s work and devotion to the craft. It’s always transforming and it’s an incredible honor when a client allows me express that experience through the flowers for their event.

To me, this means transforming spaces with artful floral designs and creating impactful moments with seasonal and local blooms. For me, it’s really important to source from farms around the area, or my own garden, which I think really elevates design and intention behind every bloom.

Another part of design I have been really focusing on, is using unique vessels in my arrangements and installations. My partner is a ceramicist and It’s been such a joy to work together in designing vessels with unique color palettes and shapes that really amplify the flowers. I’ve been learning so much about the relationship of flower and its container – the more I play with the concept, the more I realize how much they go hand in hand. I also feel it really allows me to create a moment that is truly unique to the event. In the past, I have only really focused on amplifying the blooms, but when the container comes into play, I have to find creative ways to integrate and execute a more harmonious design.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Being in the industry for 10 years, I have found it easy to fall into working habits and relying on certain practices to get the job done on a deadline. When running a business, especially with perishable goods, it’s always a risk to attempt a different process or perspective to make it come together. It makes sense to find the easiest and most efficient way to execute projects successfully.

One of the most challenging parts of running a floral design business is adapting practices that are kinder to the environment. I have seen how “green washed” this business can be – people assume that because they are flowers they are considered eco-friendly. But the reality is, most flowers grown commercially aren’t grown in grandmother’s garden. They are grown industrially overseas, usually involving an insurmountable amount of pesticide and chemical fertilizer use, having underpaid workers cultivating and harvesting flowers, with an incredible carbon footprint of not only shipping, but of packaging as well. The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, just as any major industry, there’s a lot of dirt that is being swept under the rug and when people see something they want on the Internet, someone will step up to make it happen… despite the harm it may create.

This is why I feel very strongly convicted to do my very best to offset my footprint in the industry. Buying from local farms that do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers, growing my own flowers where possible, and foraging responsibly is where I chose to start. I use only reusable mechanics in my designs with tools I can use over and over again. It means that I have to charge clients a bit more than other florists might, due to higher flower costs, and sustaining the extra labor it takes my team and I to sustain cleaner practices. It’s my pledge to operate a business as honorably as I can in a world where sustainability has taken a step back.

Running a business to stand behind these principles is tricky, but it’s worth it. I do not believe in the option of harming others and the planet along the way for my own profit. And with that, I know that I am far from perfect. For example, I’ve used floral foam (which sadly leaches formaldehyde and microplastics into the air and water). I still have some in my toolkit as a back up, or for a very specific use (cue in last week’s scenario of making an arrangement to be sturdy without water sloshing around and withstanding being on a table at a dinner party.. on a boat!). But my hope is that if everyone in this industry could try a bit harder to step out of the habit of using floral foam for everything, it could really make an impact on the current demand. I think it takes a little bit of honest reflection and an attempt to do better. I really believe we can do it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flordemardesigns.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/flordemar.designs
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/flordemardesigns

Image Credits

1. Sposto Photo
2. Ria Georgia
3. Ali Hartwig
4. Astray Photo
5-8. Myself/own camera