In conversation with Albertina Nzuza. Albertina Nzuza was born on the 2nd June 1968, in the Eastern Cape. Brought up by her mother and granny, who both taught her to run life’s race with passion and devotion. In an attempt to make something great out of her life, Albertina had therefore chosen to leave the Eastern Cape to search for employment in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
I managed to pull Albertina our head florist, out of her very busy schedule, to find out a little more about her.
So Albertina, the question we all waiting to hear is, how did you start working at Silk By Design?
Well, I have always had a strong passion for flowers, floristry, and floral arrangements. From quite a young age, I started working for many florists in Durban. In 1999 I had worked for a flower shop in Musgrave, it was at this time I had seen the advert placed in the newspaper by Silk by design, who was in search of a florist. I had jumped at the opportunity and applied immediately. Once I joined Silk By Design, I never wanted to leave. I now have been here for 19 years.
I know that you had a passion for floristry, but how did you actually get into becoming a silk flower florist?
We first started working with silk plants and greenery, and then saw an opportunity for offering customers silk flower arrangements. Customers were intrigued by the designs and were open to replacing their fresh flowers with silk flowers. Since then we have not turned back.
Whilst in conversation with Albertina Nzuza, I asked her, what her favourite part of being a florist was? She responded saying:
I enjoy creating new designs every day. It really makes me so happy to see a finished product, and envision them at a hotel, on someone’s cozy lounge, or dining area.
What is your favourite flower?
I love the beauty of a phalaenopsis white stem. There is just something about its delicateness.
How did you develop your signature style?
Style comes with a lot of experience in other words, it is something that is developed over a period of time. If there is a vase and a bunch of flowers in front of me, I can arrange them beautifully without even putting too much thought into it. Arranging flowers have become second nature to me.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get a lot of inspiration from our director Susan McNair. She has always led us in the right direction in terms of style. We use magazines and television as well to influence our designs. It’s always important to use these designs as inspiration to keep up with trends however, it’s also as important to use our own fresh style.
This is your chance to brag, so how many arrangements do you think you could do in a day?
It really depends on the type of arrangement it is. If it’s a simple arrangement, for instance, I could do up to 90 arrangements.
Which do you prefer working with, flowers or plants?
What are your career highlights?
It was really a joy to be featured on television and see our arrangements now and again in the media.
What is the biggest challenge in the floral industry?
The industry is highly concentrated. There are too many people trying to do silk flowers. We have luckily always stayed on top of things and outdone our competitors. Silk By Design has always produced world-class, quality arrangements, as a result, we have always stood way above all our competitors locally and internationally.
That’s a wrap of my interview with Albertina Nzuza. In conclusion, Albertina has the ability to bring artificial flowers to life. She gently manipulates them and almost breathes life into them. This is a natural talent and is hard to find as an employer. In addition, have look at some of Albertina’s floral designs.
Roberta Govender – Silk By Design Marketing