Submitted By Janet Black AIFD CFD PFCI AAF mmfd
Our history began in the mid-sixties, with creative floral designers coming together to watch programs featuring Buddy Benz, Tommy Bright and Sylvia Valencia. Education was limited to a group of accomplished designers reaching out for more.
Bea Frambach, AIFD was one to spear head and promote floral education in Southern California. Eleven original designers, hired an attorney (who became an honorary member) establishing; bylaws, code of ethics and professional practices. The idea bloomed with a merger beginning, on a card table and typewriter in Bea’s home which later moved to Art Ito’s AIFD flower shop.
There were 45 original charter members that donated money to this new venture. The American Institute of Floral Designers was born and look where we have come today!
Our 60th Anniversary will be celebrated in Palm Springs, CA in 2025, in a state where we began. The History Committee has been diligent to prepare for a celebration. We have established our roots and now, we are about to grow into 2023.
We would love to feature “The Designs of the Decades”. As you are cleaning out that closet and come across AIFD pictures, scan it or take a photo of it with your phone and save it as a jpeg file. Rename it: year, event, names of the people in the photos.
Then send it to your chapters President or to aifdhistory@gmail.com.
A picture is worth a thousand words; we need your photos and articles too!
If you have a cover of a floral magazine from 1965 to 2000, take a photo and send it in.
If you have photos from past symposiums, we would like those too! The AIFD History Committee is looking for members who love floral and AIFD history, and would like to work together to create an archive that will house our floral history. Email aifdhistory@gmail.com to get involved.
