Floral Designers from Malaysia and South Korea Shine at 13th International FDSS Cup Floral Designing Competition

Top honors were awarded to talented floral designers from Malaysia and the Republic of Korea at the 13th International FDSS Cup Floral Designing Competition, held at the Singapore Garden Festival 2024. Ms. Jun Lim from Malaysia, Mr. Junseo Yun, and Ms. Hyojeong Kim from the Republic of Korea clinched the top three accolades respectively. This prestigious competition, organized by the Floral Designers Society (Singapore) (FDSS), embraced a unified theme for the first time: “Designing & Sustainability in Floristry,” incorporating the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle into the design tasks.

The live competition, which took place earlier today at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Level 4, featured a single open category. It was held in conjunction with the Singapore Garden Festival 2024, organized by the National Parks Board (NParks). Visitors can view the stunning floral displays daily until August 11. The gallery-inspired layout of the displays enhances the visitor experience, highlighting the artistry and creativity of the floral designers in a dynamic, celebratory environment.

This year’s competition saw 19 participants from 9 countries and regions, including Hong Kong and Macau, competing in the open category. The esteemed panel of judges included world-renowned floral designers Ahti Lyra (Estonia), Hiroto Inoue (Japan), and Iza Tkaczyk (Poland). The awards were presented by Mr. Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information & National Development, at the prize presentation ceremony this evening.

Designers faced three challenges within a total time limit of four hours and 15 minutes. The first challenge, themed “Enchanting Nature in the Tropics,” required designers to create a free-standing display incorporating a material that is reused or recycled. The second challenge tasked designers with creating a hand-tied bouquet themed “From Trash to Cash,” using one pre-done structure and floral materials provided onsite. The final task involved creating a design with a surprise package of materials, revealed only onsite, based on the overarching event theme.

Floral designer Jun Lim, 37, who has participated in the International FDSS Cup Floral Designing Competition since 2010, except for the 2016 edition due to maternity leave, was thrilled to finally win the top prize this year. She previously won 3rd place in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 competitions. There was no competition in 2020, making this the sixth edition she has participated in.

Results:

• 1st Place: Jun Lim, Malaysia
• 2nd Place: Junseo Yun, Republic of Korea
• 3rd Place: Hyojeong Kim, Republic of Korea

Merit Awards:

• Cao Xue, China
• Junna Teh, Malaysia
• Law Choon Poh, Singapore

Participants were judged based on their interpretation of the theme and their application of the principles of ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ to the overall design, color aesthetics, and proficiency in execution.