The Power of Flowers
by Geraldine Zialcita
Flowers speak volumes and are used as an expression of love, to provide a gift of hope, and celebrate every memorable occasion. Every road Victoria Tai has traveled always led her to a warm and welcoming floral path, taking her to where she truly belongs and embracing a world of flowers.
“Beauty and art have no boundaries, it is a global language. The East and West may have a different interpretation, but the goal is universal—to bring happiness and expression to as many people around the world as possible, to share the beauty and pass along a sense of positive energy to everyone, and to add a touch of color to this world,” she conveys with passion.
Victoria was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her childhood dream was to be a businesswoman, following in her parents’ footsteps. At a very young age, Victoria trotted around the globe with her parents and experienced first-hand various cultures, cuisines, and art. With Europe being her favorite continent, Victoria encountered a significant experience that left a remarkable impression on her.
“When I was in Paris, I visited Trousselier, a unique arts and craft store along Blvd. Haussmann. Tucked behind a creatively displayed storefront, lay a tiny manufacturing workplace with a group of women hand-cutting floral petals derived from silk fabric, followed by hand-coloring, hand-ironing, and hand-assembling them individually into beautiful floral stems. I stood there, lost in a trance witnessing the process and how it evolved into a distinguishable flower that looked so real,” she shares.
Her childhood experience of the delicate handcraftsmanship of creating faux floral arrangements left a lasting impression on Victoria and has been etched in her memory, foreshadowing what was yet to come. Years later, Victoria completed her undergraduate education at Sophia University in Tokyo. During her five years in Japan, Victoria immersed herself in the Japanese culture and lifestyle. Victoria had an amazing opportunity to visit Miyuki Art School where she caught a glimpse of Japanese students studying how to create floral art by utilizing similar hand-crafting techniques as those she had witnessed in the Trousselier boutique in Paris. These beautiful flowers were transformed into exquisite floral arrangements and displayed in Takashimaya department stores which Victoria frequently visited, creating a profound impression on her.
While residing in Japan, Victoria continued to travel and felt a yearning need to acquaint herself with her Chinese culture. This propelled her to spend several months in Shanghai to study simplified Chinese. During her time in Shanghai, Victoria’s father visited and taught her the art of calligraphy which she enjoys and finds therapeutic. Sharing a deeper fondness for her Chinese heritage, Victoria spent time in Taiwan to learn traditional Chinese. Shortly after acquiring her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Victoria relocated to Hong Kong to work for a fashion e-commerce retailer of high-end luxury women’s shoes while also working part-time for a world-renowned floral designer Gary K who served to be a visionary and mentor for Victoria. She assisted with weekly floral services for clients such as Tiffany & Co., Dior, and Landmark. Victoria also had the opportunity to work on larger projects and product launch events for Piaget and Louis Vuitton, weddings for high-profile celebrities, and installations for Lane Crawford.
While in Hong Kong, Victoria had the chance to visit multiple Chinese factories that specialize in floral products. One unique factory had replicated the same process of the hand craftsmanship she had perceived in Paris which took her breath away. Connecting the dots of her experiences in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, led Victoria to believe that these fragments of her life were integrated to pave the way for her true calling. Bent on pursuing her childhood dream of creating beautiful faux floral arrangements, Victoria took a bold step to start her amazing journey.
In 2016, Victoria launched Winward Home, an online home decor destination that offers faux flower arrangements and home accessories to complement your home and office. Contrary to fresh flowers which need nurturing and eventually wilt, these beautiful and artistic floral stems are designed into arrangements and are ideal for high-end home interiors in mansions, vacation homes, large estates, yachts, private jets, etc., with no expiry date.
“Winward Home’s mission is to make the world a more beautiful place by ‘Bringing Beauty Home’ with the most beautiful, most realistic, most artistic flowers in the world. Our vision is to introduce and provide accessibility for all high-end home décor clientele and end-consumers to purchase the highest quality everlasting faux botanicals and greenery through our online shop. Every item is one-of-a-kind and most importantly is that it requires minimal upkeep and maintenance. Our floral arrangements add color, character, and life in people’s homes and can be displayed on their dining table, coffee table, foyer, kitchen island, bathroom vanity, sun room… the possibilities are endless,” she shares enthusiastically.
Winward offers seven collections to choose from. The Manhattan Collection boasts of the elegant New York skyscraper eliciting powerful and magnetic emotion to match the pulse of the state. The Bianco Collection showcases a dainty and sweet country and coastal living recognized to provide tranquility and comfort. The Urban Collection features a hip and young appearance designed to heighten your senses and define cosmopolitan living. The Rutherford Collection was inspired by the Tuscan sun and the Amalfi coast, depicting a colorful and vibrant Mediterranean lifestyle. The Highland Park Collection denotes an elegant fusion between East and West, highlighting the rich history and cultural influences. The Outdoor Patio Collection defines the strength and beauty of sculpted concrete integrated with the flexibility of a light stone appearance, embracing a traditional setting. Winward Home also produces faux wreaths, garlands, and swags to captivate one’s attention and accentuate your home. Due to the strong demand to incorporate faux flowers with containers, in 2018, they added their home accessories line which provides vases, pots, planters, lamps, wall art, tabletop accessories, and faux fruits and vegetables to promote outdoor and indoor living. Winward Home designs are timeless, contemporary, and trendy. They offer their most sought-after products and new arrangements throughout the year.
Achieving the supreme quality of faux flowers involves multiple stages and an intricate process. Winward Home meticulously selects the finest fresh flower growers in the industry to create floral stems. The next step entails creating the plaster and steel molds. After removing the flower petals and leaves, they soak them in a bed of flour to preserve the original shape. Plaster of Paris is slowly poured into each petal and leaf to garner the texture and characteristics. Plaster molds are used to produce the male and female molds for final mold pressing. Different materials are utilized to generate the most realistic flower or leaves that are die-cut into flat shapes to prepare for coloring and hand-painting. The petals are dyed in a base color and placed in a steamer to absorb the pigment. Shortly after, they glue the petals starting from the middle heading to the bottom of the flower. Some petals require hand-curling to accentuate the final details. The finishing touches include the final hand painting which breathes life into each new stem. One flower head can take hours to complete, signifying a labor of love to define art and beauty.
Winward Home buys the components from the highest standard vendors and assembles their arrangements in their factory in California. They perform layers of quality control measures to verify products are in perfect condition before shipping. Their online stores enable them to ship worldwide. Winward Home also has retail partners with their products displayed in upscale luxury stores around the United States. Winward Home’s products capture the essence of each season to bring beauty to your lives.
“We cater to high-end home interiors, offering a personalized experience matched with quality service. We are a US-based company, with our headquarters in California,” she informs.
As an entrepreneur and Principal of Winward Home, Victoria oversees the day-to-day operations, markets their products online, and leads her team to develop their product line. Victoria travels around the world to confer with different designers while developing and broadening her interpretation of home decorating concepts strongly influenced by floral fashion.
“Every day is a new challenge that makes my career so fun and interesting. I love solving problems and brainstorming ideas. Managing forty employees entails empowering them to share our company culture and vision. Collaborating to shape and meet our goals and objectives are instrumental for the company’s growth and success,” she tells us as she takes a sip of her coffee.
During the height of the pandemic, Winward Home extended its efforts to spreading art, beauty, and joy through flowers.
“Since we couldn’t travel, we learned to design collaboratively using the power of technology. This only proved that no matter what situation, or pandemic we are going through in our lives, everyone needs flowers to cheer us up, lighten our mood, and spread joy. Our sales increased during the pandemic because people were mostly home and had a strong desire to be surrounded by beautiful things. They retreated to online shopping to renovate their homes and make them more livable. This is where Winward Home shone because more people were buying faux flowers to add beauty to their lives,” She shares with us as she shows me her website.
Victoria draws inspiration from art, garden, travel, culture, and color. She believes that curiosity didn’t kill the cat and instead opened doors to possibilities. Flowers have symbolized her true inspiration.
“Our process of creating faux flowers is similar to that of an artist who spots something pivotal in nature and translates that vivid memory onto the canvas. Capturing the very essence of a flower and preserving its beauty is what we strive to do. The combination of a handcrafted, delicate, and lengthy process is a dying breed and an artistic skill we wish to preserve. No matter what the season is deluxe faux flowers can be preserved for a long time,” she expresses as she’s holding up a rose.
While each flower is beautiful and unique, Victoria shares a strong attraction to the rose, which exudes an endless expression. “There are different kinds of roses and each of them displays unique characteristics and personalities. Take, for example, the English Rose has different varieties, possessing thick multi-layer blossoms, while others consist of few petals. Some roses are easier to grow while others attract mildew and spiders and only bloom once a year. Not all roses are sturdy and each of these roses encompasses its own traits. At Winward Home, we have mastered the art of capturing the facets of the most beautiful and artistic rose to demonstrate its unique features and attributes, spelling a timeless beauty,” she describes.
After years of being in the floral fashion business, Victoria has learned that the industry is rapidly changing. What used to be a brick-and-mortar setting for many establishments has transformed into online retail which spells the future. “To be able to collaborate with a factory for the components, design, and manufacture from California, and distribute to clients around the world makes online selling sensible. With her journey always leading to flowers, Victoria acknowledges they signify happiness, joy, and celebration.“Flowers symbolize feelings and emotions. You decorate your home with flowers when you are happy. Flowers are used as gifts for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Valentine’s Day, and many more,” she conveys.
Victoria’s underlying desire was to preserve that gift, emotion, and celebration. Designing the finest luxury faux floral arrangements has enabled Victoria to conserve all these and leave an everlasting creation for her clients.
“Deluxe faux flowers are underexposed and very different from average artificial flowers in terms of quality. We only want to deliver the best features, never skimping on the finest details. Flowers bring beauty to people’s lives which generates bliss. Beauty and happiness are synced together, and my goal has always been to bring beauty and joy to people’s homes, rendering positive energy and emotions for every season.” She smiles.
Victoria is active in charity events and wishes to utilize her experiences to give back to society. Celebrating another milestone with flowers is her recent engagement with Dr. Justin Thompson. Victoria was surrounded by her company’s florals during the proposal which made it extra sentimental for her. She’s excited to include additional Winward Home florals, candlesticks, and more on their special day. Despite their very different occupations, the pair looks forward to supporting each other’s growth and ongoing success as they enter into the next chapter of their lives together. Just as Winward Home florals have enhanced this special time in her life, she hopes to bring this beauty and happiness into even more people’s lives.
The cornerstone of Victoria’s life has always been integrated with flowers. Flowers have been her constant from the very beginning of her journey, establishing the foundation which initially captivated her attention. Appreciating the art, beauty, and joy flowers imparted from a distance, compelled Victoria to explore her senses and dig deeper. Gaining a profound understanding of the attributes of flowers motivated Victoria to forge ahead and fulfill her true calling. Victoria translated her love and passion for flowers to an everlasting commitment, spearheading Winward Home to serve as the manifestation of her conviction and the anchor to her soul. Victoria Tai defines The Power of Flowers.
www.winwardhome.com
Head to the links for the full articles and exclusive images:
https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2395805?__r=928185
https://luxurytrending.zinioapps.com/shop
https://www.zinio.com/mx/luxury-trending-magazine-m39898
https://pasalapagina.com/publica…/luxury-trending/551.html
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CREDITS:
VICTORIA TAI @victoriatai38
Writer: GERALDINE ZIALCITA @geraldineauthor
Creative and Fashion Director: ROSALINA TRAN LYDSTER @rosalinalydster
Fashion Stylist: ANTONIO CONTRERAS @antonioeldeseo
HMUA: ARTEMIO IBARRA @art_ibarra
MUA Assistant: NOE ACOSTA @noeatwork
Floral Designer: ALAN DO @noovobloom
Flowers Provided by: WINWARD HOME @winward_home
Location Manager: MARTY LYDSTER
Copy Editor: KIEDO VILLANUEVA @kei_villanueva
Art Director: NIGEL JOHN DEL MUNDO @nigeldelmundo
Executive Producer: GARRISON TAI @tai.garrison
Cameo Appearance: DR. JUSTIN THOMPSON @dr.justinthompson
Photographer Assistant: REY DEL FIERRO @reydelfierrophotography
Photographer: VINCENT GOTTI @vinniegotti
Tea party guests: @cullinanluxury / @alex.cullinanluxury
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Published by @plpg.globalmedia PLPG GLOBAL MEDIA, LLC. and its division for Colombia & Latin America PUBLICOMLATINA PUBLISHING GROUP S.A.S | © 2023 / Editor in Chief Edward R Rueda @ceo.plpg
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