Focal Points: An AIFD Blog

Ian Prosser AIFD: A Legacy of Artistry, Education and Service

Ian Prosser AIFD: A Legacy of Artistry, Education and Service

Ian Prosser AIFD: A Legacy of Artistry, Education and Service By Andie Muller AIFD, President of the AIFD Southern Chapter 2026-27. For more than half a century, Ian Prosser AAF, AIFD, NDSF, PFCI, has helped shape the floral industry through extraordinary artistry, generous mentorship and…

Why Texture Speaks to Me    

Why Texture Speaks to Me    

Why Texture Speaks to Me     By Laurie Lemek AIFD, CFD, PFCI, AAF When asked to choose my favorite Element of Design, my answer comes easily: Texture. Texture is defined in The AIFD Guide to Floral Design: Terms, Techniques & Traditions as “the surface quality of…

The Sylvia Cup 2026: A Dream Come True in Floral Design

The Sylvia Cup 2026: A Dream Come True in Floral Design

The Sylvia Cup 2026: A Dream Come True in Floral Design, by Cindy Hall, AIFD, KMF Winning the 2026 Sylvia Cup Floral Design Competition was an experience I will never forget. I arrived representing the Kentucky Floral Association after winning the Kentucky Cup in 2025,…

AIFD History Recognizes An Exceptional Japanese Designer

AIFD History Recognizes An Exceptional Japanese Designer

By Janet Black AIFD, Historian 2026-27 ‘ The year was 1987, and the American Institute of Floral Designers held its Symposium at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The theme was Flor/Expo. Teresa Riddle AIFD Life Fellow, was the President at the time. AIFD was…

September President’s Message

September President’s Message

Greetings Everyone! I hope you’ve all had an amazing summer and are looking forward to a fun filled Labor Day weekend. I remember my Grandmother and Mother saying “Wait until you get older and you’ll see how fast time flies” and boy were they right!…

President 1992-1993: Holly Money-Collins, AIFD

President 1992-1993: Holly Money-Collins, AIFD

Get to know the President- Highlights during Presidency  Holly grew up in California and graduated from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. There, she earned a degree in Horticulture with a concentration in Floriculture and worked on a Masters Degree in Agriculture Education. Holly…

President’s Letter

President’s Letter

I’d like to start my first Focal Points letter by thanking our immediate Past President, ReneeTucci AIFD for her incredible dedication , immaculate attention to detail and her unwaveringfriendship to not only me but our entire organization. As I mentioned in my speech at the…

Student Competition Orlando – ELEVATE

Student Competition Orlando – ELEVATE

In this year’s competition, we had 27 students representing 7 schools:  SAIFD Students showed up and showed out at this year’s Student Competition. This year’s theme was “WICKED” and the students stepped up to the plate and created some amazing designs. Arrangement Students were asked…

Alan Thompson, AIFD Life Member, Takes Us Down Memory Lane

Alan Thompson, AIFD Life Member, Takes Us Down Memory Lane

By Alan Thompson As I think of AIFD History, I think of the people who led me to AIFD! Mary Lee Evans AIFD from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was an instant friend who took me under her wing and introduced me to everyone! Mary Lee was fearless…