Luludi Living ar t Business BY VICTOR MARASSO Nestled on 23rd Street and 24th Avenue in Astoria, is a beautiful secret “garden.” No, this lovely place is not an extension of nearby Astoria Park. The “garden” that we are referring to is a floral design shop like no other in the entire city. The shop is Luludi Living Art. When you step inside you will discover a world of wonder and beauty with both glass terrariums and standalone floral arrangements from designer Liza Fiorentinos. Luludi is the Greek word for flower. Inspired by nature, Luludi’s mission is to be the nexus where nature meets art and design. When entering this magical shop, one doesn’t know what to look at first. Over by the door are moss covered dogs and bunny rabbits. On a counter to the right stand Hermes handbags that, covered in greenery, look as though a gardener just brought them in from the backyard. Escorting LIC Courier Magazine into her workshop at the back of the store Liza explained just what goes into creating her magnificent terrariums and Zen gardens. We started off the interview, talking about Liza’s life journey, which took her as a child from Manhattan to the continent of Africa and, finally to Ditmars, where she settled down. “My dad worked for the United Nations,” explained Fiorentinos. “So we were always moving around. Growing up, I lived in the Congo, Kenya and a few other very interesting places. My parents loved experiencing new and different cultures. They were very adaptable. That’s where I got it from. I think that I would find a way to feel at home on Mars, if I had to.” After graduating from NYU, Fiorentinos continued the family tradition of seeing the world. “I ended up working in advertising, which took me to Paris where I handled over a dozen International accounts Photos courtesy of Luludi Living Art
LIC072016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above