Conway wins prestigious floral design competition

GEELONG student Bridie Conway has won gold in the Intermediate Student division at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show after creating a beautiful floral structure that challenged the theme of a ‘moment in time’.

Ms Conway, who is currently undertaking a Certificate III in Floristry at The Gordon in Geelong, was tasked with creating a piece that followed the criteria of a ‘moment of light and colour, a moment to cheer and celebrate, a moment for change and new beginnings’.

While only having three-and-a-half hours to complete her vibrant and colourful arrangement, Ms Conway said she felt more comfortable about the contest having done plenty of sketching and designing of her display in the leadup to the event.

“While we haven’t done much work on structural designs yet in our course… I was lucky to have had experience with that kind of style in the past by doing engagement and wedding flowers,” Ms Conway said.

“Preparing for the flower show was really interesting…. it was the first time I really had to critically think about incorporating the different elements and principles of flower design, thus being able to work through that process and feel confident about my choices.

“It was a really friendly competition, with lots of encouragement between contestants from within The Gordon and across other schools… I was super proud of my display, so to be recognised for that was awesome.”

Ms Conway said the exposure she received from the event has given her great confidence with time constraints and working in different environments.

Ms Conway also said she looks forward to gaining a deeper knowledge of flower design and structure through real experiences like the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

“[The course] is giving me a great opportunity to practice with a range of flowers and styles that I otherwise wouldn’t, and access experiences like the flower market and MIFGS,” Ms Conway said.

“The most rewarding thing is creating something fun, exciting, and expressive.”