Ioana Nechifor: Telling stories with lilies

At Bredefleur, everything is about quality, character and connection. With florists, with stories and with the lily itself. That's why every month we highlight a Bredefleur Friend of the Month. This month we welcome another familiar face: Ioana Nechifor of City Flowers by Ioana from Romania. Her work shows that a lily is not just a flower, but a form of expression. A way to make feeling, atmosphere and symbolism tangible.

Recently, Ioana was a participant in the 2025 BFF of the Year competition. An initiative by Bredefleur that challenges a select group of florists to translate their vision of the lily into a personal design. “I love challenges that take my inspiration to the extreme,” Ioana says. For her contribution, she chose a unique location: an old church in a historic citadel. “We literally had to carry everything inside: flowers, buckets, floral foam and materials. It was both a logistical and creative adventure. That made it all the more valuable.”

The floral work Ioana created was not a traditional arrangement, but a carefully constructed visual story. Together with her daughter, she developed a concept inspired by the fairy tale of Rapunzel. “I made a hairstyle for her with a long braid of wool that stretched across the church floor in a spiral and gradually turned into flowers. It looked like the flowers were growing out of her hair.”

The lily was central to this, from bud to bloom. Each stage was given a place in the design.

What makes Ioana's work special is her sense of detail and her appreciation for the full life cycle of the flower. Not only the open lilies were shown, buds and half-opened forms were also given space. Subtle gradients of color and precise construction created a subdued work that fit perfectly into the atmosphere of the location. A creation in which technique, vision and feeling come together.

“I took this assignment very seriously,” says Ioana. “This was the second time I got to make something as a BFF. The first time was already special, but this project was part of a competition and gave an extra dimension. I want to thank Bredefleur for the beautiful quality of the lilies. They played a decisive role in the final result.” In this creation, Ioana worked with Zelmira, Dark Secret, Pokerface, Lasting Love.

With her refined approach, eye for meaning and respect for the flower as a means of expression, Ioana is a BFF who is completely in line with what Bredefleur stands for. We are proud of her contribution and grateful for the way she empowers the lily every time.