Beyond the Bio: Fabian Salcedo

What is your first memory of flowers?

My first memory of flowers is from when I was working as a host at Pappasito’s in high school, making carnation bud vases for the tables.

What experiences led to your interest in the floral Industry?

Creating florals for friends’ weddings led me into the floral industry. I felt that I had a knack for floral designs and wanted to see where it could take me.

What contributed most to your design education?

Attending the Floral Design Institute contributed most to my design education and made me realize it was a career worth growing.

What has been your favorite job in the floral industry?

My favorite job in the floral industry was working for CAFFCO and traveling to China to create holiday and permanent botanical designs.

Your career has taken you on quite the journey. Was there one or more moments that changed your path to lead you to where you are today?

One thing that changed my path to get me where I am today was working for The Flower Studio and learning all the ins and outs of the floral industry.

What led you to the idea for the hands-on workshop that you will share during the Texas Floral Expo?

Kokedama is a technique that I use very often, but I don’t see others using it as often as I do. I have some amazing everyday clients who allow me to be creative with their designs, and many of them typically want long-lasting arrangements. So, I frequently use this technique. Because I wanted to create a Kokedama display for the Texas Floral Expo lobby decor, it was only natural for me to choose it as the idea for my hands-on workshop.

What are the key takeaways that you hope will be gleaned from this class?

I hope the key takeaways from this class will be how to use this simple concept to elevate and expand the creative options we have to offer our clients.

What do you predict to be the greatest constant and the greatest change in floral design as our industry moves forward?

I think the greatest constant in our industry is the need to constantly grow and evolve. We are always learning and blooming new ideas. In my opinion, the greatest change in the industry moving forward will be learning how to seamlessly incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the design process.

What role do you see yourself playing in the future of floral design education?

I see myself continuing to push my creativity to innovate designs so I can share those insights with others.