Sunflower Madness Contest: Meet the Contestants

We are so excited to be partnering with our friends at Ball SB to create the first-ever Sunflower Madness design contest to promote the new Bradley Sunflower! The Bradley Sunflower is a new sunflower variety developed by Ball SB that stands out from other varieties on the market currently and we want to help bring Bradley to center stage! Meet the newest sunflower variety, Bradley, in our blog here! 

About The Sunflower Madness Contest:

Eight floral designers will compete in a March Madness-style bracket battle in the Sunflower Madness design competition. To enter the contest, the designers will build a one-of-a-kind piece using stems of the Bradley Sunflower provided by Ball, as well as additional floral elements of their choosing. The participants who receive the most votes from their Instagram followers proceed to the next round at the end of each week.

• March 14 - 17 | Round 1 Voting
• March 18 | Round 1 Winners Announced
• March 21 - 24 | Round 2 Voting
• March 25 | Round 2 Winners (Finalists) Announced
• March 28 - 31 | Round 3 Finalists Voting
• April 1 | Winner Announcement

The winner of the competition will win three hundred Bradley Sunflower stems for their next event plus an annual subscription to Details Flowers Software. Votes can be cast by visiting the official Sunflower Madness Contest page. Details Flowers Software will announce the progressing designers on their Instagram (@detailsflowers) every Friday starting March 18th, 2022.

Meet the Contestants:

PETER JAMES CALAFIORE

Peter Calafiore has over 30 years of experience as a floral designer, beginning as an apprentice with Arcadia working under the tutelage of Kathy Prout in a fecund environment that fostered creativity and ingenuity. After graduating from Monmouth College, leaving Arcadia, and working for various shops in the jersey shore area Peter began creating elegant displays and arrangements for a clientele that included The Rittenhouse, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Bellevue, The Pierre Hotel . . .In 2006, Peter opened The Towne Florist in Oakhurst, calling upon the wealth of knowledge he had attained from his many years in the floral and event industry. Peter quickly established himself as a visionary, and his name has become synonymous with a floral tradition replete with and defined by, an unparalleled standard of elegance. His quest to create beauty using the best quality products and talents to design one-of-a-kind floral sculptures that range from simple to dramatic. His artistry is displayed in the staid homes of Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Allenhurst, Loch Arbor, and Deal, as well as in venues that define a new generation of style and class such as The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, Shadowbrook, The Channel Club, The Avenue, The Oyster Point Hotel....and many more.

The unwavering tradition of floral couture continues as Peter deigned to open PeterJames in June 2009, as Peter has quickly asserted himself as the newest jewel in the crown of a burgeoning Asbury Park oceanfront business district, inside the restored Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, a jewel in itself. In his showroom, Peter brings ideas to full and vibrant fruition when consulting with brides, commercial and private individuals, and entities.

Peter’s effervescent and ebullient personality resonates in every corner of his showroom. His creations have been showcased in Contemporary Bride, Beautiful Bride, and The Knot bridal magazines as well as the East Coast Bridal and Style Me Pretty well-known bridal blogs.

Always striving to enhance an environment through the addition of beauty, Peter does not limit his work to large-scale private and corporate clientele; he seizes upon every opportunity to give back to his community. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, who said, “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” Thus, Peter is an avid supporter and of non-profits that are community-focused and is a member of the Board of Directors of THE CENTER in Asbury Park.

HOLLY HEIDER CHAPPLE

A dedicated mother of 7, wife, and entrepreneur, Holly is the creative visionary behind Holly Heider Chapple Flowers. A longtime resident of Loudoun County Virginia, Holly is a highly recognized and sought-after floral designer whose work has been published in countless prestigious publications and top industry blogs. With over 25 years of successful business experience behind her, Holly now serves as a teacher, speaker, and mentor for other professionals in the wedding industry. She currently sits on a trend report board with industry leaders, owns and operates Hope Flower Farm, and has launched her own product line with Syndicate Sales. Her innovations and creativity are inspiring the world of floristry. Based on her incredible and unique sense of style, the term “Hollyish” emerged in 2011 as a way of describing designs that possess the elegance, beauty, and creativity of those designs that leave Holly’s studio.

Armed with a strong desire to help other floral designers and event professionals be successful, Holly established the Chapel Designers (a division of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers) in 2010. This international network of florists and event designers gather each year in key cities across the world including, New York City, California. Australia and London, the designers gather to collaborate, learn, and create. 

What started as a desire to network with other like-minded business owners has blossomed into an incredible group of professionals comprised of longtime designers, up-and-coming designers, and people just starting their design journey. The Chapel Designers is growing every day and is proud to have members from all over the world.  Having raised 7 children, and recognizing her most important life role as a mother, Holly appreciates also being known as the “Flower Mamma” throughout the world of floristry.

Holly’s signature characteristics are quality, clarity of vision, and an impeccable eye for design. Remaining dedicated to quality and freshness of design and attentive service has allowed Holly Heider Chapple Flowers to be recognized over and over again for exceptional products and client experiences while maintaining an unrelenting desire to drive industry trends.

JEAN-PASCAL LEMIRE

From an early age, Jean-Pascal Lemire immersed himself in the arts. Although raised as a small-town boy, he had a natural draw to the big city, where he would admire the high-end window displays of luxurious department stores. This fostered his eye and enthusiasm for the finer things in life.

He attributes the inspirations of artistry, theater, architecture, design, and couture as his grandest influences into the evolution of his impeccable floral design. With his organic entrepreneurial spirit, Jean-Pascal began his career in the event planning sector of Montreal. This would be where he learned the roots of his profession and discovered a newfound passion for flowers.

Jean-Pascal founded his floral company in the Fall of 2010. The welcomed invitation to establish a shop in the elegant and sophisticated Ritz-Carlton Montreal came in the Spring of 2012. The distinguished clientele recognized his exceptional talents in each breathtaking arrangement.

He is most noted for having fun mixing traditional and modern and creating compositions that are chic, harmonious, and majestic. It is a contemporary approach to classic florals focusing on color and density. Jean-Pascal possesses a natural aptitude for infinite visions. The possibilities are limitless!

With each of his conceptions, he creates a feeling that invokes all the senses, while enriching the lives of everyone that partakes. This is the driving force that fuels his delight in what he considers a beautiful privilege doing what he loves.

In 2017, Jean-Pascal felt an inner calling to make a move to Southern California. His business is flourishing, enjoying an upscale American market in Beverly Hills and all across Los Angeles.

ANISKA CREATIONS

Aniska Creations is a mother-daughter business born out of love for flowers. Originally from Venezuela, Ana Isabel Vivas and Anais Vivas moved to Miami, Florida, where they now serve the floral needs of their community. Ana Isabel spends her days designing and creating while Anais handles budgets, orders, and client meetings. An urban planner by profession, Ana Isabel's interests have always revolved around design, nature, and, of course, flowers! She started floral design when she planned her cousin's wedding nearly 30 years ago and hasn't stopped since. Anais holds a Music Business and Vocal Performance degree from the University of Miami and manages her time between music and flowers. She has always loved event planning and production and her passion for design grow daily.

Ana Isabel and Anais have been recognized with two "Intrigue Floral Awards" in the United States, one as "Designer to Watch" in 2019 and as "Designer of the Year" in 2020. They have been invited as exhibitors to the Online Tulip Festival of the European Union and Rosé from Fleurs de Villes, where they were awarded as “Best in Show” among 20 Miami-area florists for their design of a floral dress with more than 5,000 stems of flowers. Florists' Review recently named them one of America's 125 Florists to Celebrate. One of their greatest passions is teaching, which is why they have structured courses for different levels and interests within the floral world.

They have visited cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, Boston, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, and Bogotá with their courses and will continue to take them to different parts of the world. Their courses are taught in Spanish, focused mainly on the Latino community. Last year they started their online floral school where they offer different recorded courses that can be seen anywhere in the
world. With the same objective of teaching and creating community, they have their YouTube channel
where they share practical florist tips and their Podcast “El Mundo de las Flores” in which they highlight the work of different professionals in the events area.

Aniska specializes in custom designs for weddings and events in the Miami area. You can
follow them on Instagram @AniskaCreations to see their work!

KATIE NOONAN

Her style of floral design is viewed as floral art and craftsmanship. Each design is handcrafted with clean and modern design techniques, to present unique art pieces to brides and events,  marking life’s greatest moments.

Katie has been drawn to flowers her whole life. Growing up she spent most of her days playing in her parent's garden. Later in life, while attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo she was once again drawn to the natural beauty of flowers. While at Cal Poly, she became involved in the Student Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers, where she actively participated in floral events and competitions. In the 2004 SAIFD competition in New York she was awarded 3rd place overall for her design of four spontaneous floral arrangements. While finishing school, Katie worked for a high-end floral shop in Santa Barbara, where she was inspired by the impact flowers can make on a wedding day.

In 2004 Katie started her own business, Noonan's Wine Country Designs, and has been specializing in weddings and events ever since. She takes pride in making floral designs that are custom to each client's personality and visions.

In 2011 Katie put her design skills to the test and was awarded the status of a Certified Floral Designer. She also chased her goal—and the ultimate goal in any floral designer career—to become part of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers; in July 2012 she was inducted into the AIFD. (View press release here). With only 1,200 AIFD members worldwide, it is a great honor to be part of this non-profit group dedicated to the education and advancement of professional floral design.

Katie has worked in the wedding and event business for over ten years. With Noonan's Designs she strives to be ahead of the floral design curve and is always looking to make her clients visions come to life. She enjoys working with clients in opening up their minds and ideas to create an event that will leave a lasting impression.

ACE BERRY

Ace Berry AIFD, PFCI CFD, TMF,  worked in the oil fields of Texas for 5 years before finding his true passion--FLOWERS! Ace worked for several years in and around Houston before opening his own floral store in Fulshear, Texas. In 2012, he earned his Texas Master Florist certification, and in 2013, he served as Teleflora's Unit President. He and a friend founded Inspired Designs, a design firm dedicated to passing on their enthusiasm for the profession through mentoring, educational programs, and workshops.

He's taken classes all throughout the country and worked with some of the top designers in the world! In Denver, Colorado, Ace was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers in 2015. Ace won Houston Designer in 2017 and was runner-up in Texas Designer of the Year in 2018. Ace was named Texas Designer of the Year in 2019. In 2019, Ace was inducted into the PFCI. 2020 Ace was cast in the reality show Full Bloom, a floral competition on HBO, where he came in second place. Ace is ecstatic to be a part of this exciting industry's future.

AMY BALSTERS

Amy Balsters is a classically trained, award winning floral design educator with vast industry experience spanning two decades in retail floristry, weddings and special events. She specializes in teaching the romantic inspired, "loose and airy style" and is the creator of Bouquet Bootcamp®, a comprehensive design course and hands-on workshop from her business The Floral Coach. Amy has taught all over the U.S. and has trained thousands of florists how to design more confidently and efficiently using professional design techniques.

Featured on Design Sponge as one of the “20 Florists to Follow on Instagram,” Amy has won multiple design awards including “Mastery in Principles of Design” chosen by the Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart. In 2018 Team Flower named her “Designer of the Year”. Her work has been featured and published in major national and international wedding publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Once Wed, Florists Review and many more. 

BRANDY FERRER

Brandy Ferrer is the owner and head designer of Simply Beautiful Floral Company in Gilmer, Texas. She started floral design as an assistant at the French Tulip in Oklahoma City while studying to be a teacher at Oklahoma City University.  Even as a teacher, Brandy continued to do weddings out of her home studio. After a 15 year career as a teacher and administrator, she decided to retire early and return to her first love of floral design.