Florist Stefan Van Berlo (37), two-time winner of the Belgian floristry championships, had to put his international career on hold during the pandemic. He didn’t get bored, though. Within no time, he was working freelance again, creating bouquets for online flower shops.
Could you tell us a little more about your career before Covid?
Before the pandemic, I was working on my international career. Was often on the road to places like Spain, Bolivia, the UK or Korea for demonstrations, trainings or masterclasses. I got so many international jobs, that I decided to stop with my own flower shop in August 2019. I could no longer combine the two activities, and just working in the shop full time would be too limiting for me.
How did the pandemic influence your work?
All my international work was put on halt due to Covid-19. I was supposed to promote a new Chinese floricultural school at an international trade fair, and I was going to teach there as well. An interesting job in Russia was cancelled, too. I used to organise workshops and masterclasses in my own home, they also came to a halt due to Covid. Instead, I offered flower arrangement kits with a step-by-step guide for people to take away, but they weren’t as popular.
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