See the Florists in the Next Fleurs de Villes Showcase

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By Rozalia Jovanovic

Fleurs de Villes, Victoria, Canada, 2017. Shutterstock.

Next week, Toronto’s fashionable Bloor-Yorkville neighborhood—home to boutiques, galleries, chic cafes, and design studios—will play host to a buzzy floral showcase known as Fleurs de Villes.

The event, which will take place from August 5-9, will host Toronto’s top florists who will participate by creating fresh floral mannequins and unique installations that will pop up all throughout the beloved neighborhood, some as surprise works where you least expect them.

“We just knew that flowers made us happy,” Tina Barkley, a co-founder with Karen Marshall, of Fleurs de Villes said in an interview noting that they wanted to build the brand around bringing flowers to the people. And they have. While Canada’s leading floral showcase got its start there, events have also been staged in London, Chicago, and in 2019, New York.

While florists often make the magic happen at weddings and other events while remaining behind-the-scenes, Fleurs de Villes gives them the spotlight. It’s “like a runway for these florists,” Adam Glassman, Creative Director of O, The Oprah Magazine, has said.

RZY, Rosalie Villanueva

Guests at next week’s event can guide themselves through the floral trail, which will take you to Yorkville Village, Manulife Centre, Yorkville Lane, and Hudson’s Bay Centre. But the pleasure will be in the many pop-up floral displays throughout the neighborhood on everything from storefront pillars to flower carts. And since it’s all in public spaces such as streets and outdoor shopping centers, it’s all doable while remaining properly socially distanced.

There are a range of florists taking part from those that do a full panoply of services in floral, decor, and event production such as DT Floral & Decor and Flowers Time to floral designers including Lena Pham’s Lena’s Floral Design (who has worked with David Yurman and Burberry) and Bruno Duarte of Fresh Floral Creations (not to be confused with the Bruno Duarte of Bravo’s Below Deck) who counts many celebrities as clients and is known for his sculptural work and leaf manipulation.

If you like what you see, on Sunday, August 9, you can check out the fresh flower market where you can pick up fresh bouquets by some of the florists who created the sensational installations including Hana Floral Design, RZY, and Purple Hill Lavender Farm. Best yet, proceeds from the flower market will go to support the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

In anticipation of this event, we’ve selected images of works by several participating florists to give you an idea of what to expect. Next week, when it kicks off on August 5, we’ll bring you more news, images, and updates.