In the heart of The Netherlands for the past 12 years, a man who calls himself a 'Gloriosaphile' has been working day and night on creating a rare, new flower variety which was revealed for the first time on July 1st 2013 in Las Vegas. On the occasion of the AIFD (American Institute of Floral Design) Annual Symposium, where floral industry professionals from all over the world gather to celebrate and renovate their passion for flowers and floral design, the official world launch of the new flower was hosted at the World Market Center, Las Vegas, at 8 pm on July 1st 2013. Collaborating with the AIFD to produce this exciting event are sponsors Reineri, Accent Decor and the City of Las Vegas.
The rare and very beautiful flower from the Gloriosa family is named after the world-renowned floral designer from Belgium, Tomas De Bruyne, who shared his talents in an extraordinary presentation entitled "The Seduction of Passion" for the AIFD.
Traveling the world to design flowers for the most prestigious clientele, and teaching his craft to literally hundreds of students from Russia to Singapore and throughout Europe and the USA, Tomas is a long-standing ambassador of Gloriosa flowers, using their unique shape and form to add emotion and tension to his floral creations.
Richard van Ruiten, the Gloriosa breeder and grower in The Netherlands, and a fan of Tomas De Bruyne, decided to name his new flower after the designer in honor of the innovative work Tomas has produced with flowers in general and with Gloriosa in particular.
"Given the vast amount of labor and love that Van Ruiten has put into creating his ‘child,’ giving it my name is not only an honor but a life-long adoption that I will cherish forever," states Tomas. "I will strive to show my greatest respect and passion for this unique flower in my future floral designs," he continued.
Van Ruiten’s "flower-cihld" is destined to be a star. And ‘her’ first appearance overlooking the skyline of Las Vegas will be an exciting one. Tomas and his team are preparing extraordinary designs for the Floral Exhibition to mark the International Floral Launch of the flower. According to Belgian and Dutch traditions, the flower will be sprinkled with Champagne as part of the official naming ceremony.
Already mingling with nobility, the floral star has a royal Patron, Princess Nora, wife of His Royal Highness Prince Saud of Saudia Arabia, who may also be attending the Launch party.
"Gloriosa is the ‘diva’ of flowers," Tomas insists. "This is why Las Vegas is such a perfect venue to launch my namesake Gloriosa. She deserves a center stage where ‘she’ can shine in the brightest spotlight. Furthermore, I am so happy that I can share this moment with my friends and colleagues, all gathered here for the AIFD. It is a truly a memorable occasion," he concluded.
Source: Thomas de Bruyne