Twenty-five years ago, a "psychic" told French flower-lover
Sebastien Lathuile he would live in China. He dismissed the
prophesy but today his career has blossomed in Shanghai.
English country gardens, fresh flowers and rich foliage are not
normally associated with the Shanghai concrete jungle. But for one
green-thumbed expat it's where he has found his oasis.
After spending years supplying fancy flowers in the UK for
clients including Elton John, Pierce Brosnan and even the Queen,
floral artist Sebastien Lathuile moved to Shanghai four years ago.
He has not looked back.
"I arrived on September 1, 2004, and five small boxes followed.
I started a new life and got rid of nearly all my old possessions,"
says the 33-year-old Frenchman.
A few weeks after he arrived he met Bernadette Chirac, the
visiting wife of former French president Jacques Chirac, and
arranged flowers for her. He later created a floral art exhibition
during French Week which lead to appearances on local television
and in magazines.
Now his company Sebastien supplies floral art to hotels, parties
and events, including the 2008 Pirelli calendar launch party.
"What appeals to me about this work is that it's made by hand
and not machine,'' he says. "It is all about beauty and I am only
here to enhance it." Lathuile was born in Albertville and used to
spend summers at his grandparents' chalet with Mont Blanc hovering
in the background. "They would cut hay and I would pick mountain
flowers to make bouquets for my grandmother," he says.
He was six at the time. His childhood pastime became a Saturday
job in a florists' shop which in turn lead to a year at a French
floral art school.
At 18 he decided to go abroad but as a child he had been
fascinated by the lives of his ancestors. His family tree includes
priests and missionaries who ventured to exotic lands during their
lifetimes.
"When I was 18 I was told by a 'psychic' I would be living in
China," he revealed, "although I didn't think much of it at the
time."
He moved to London in 1998, working as a freelance florist for
big floral companies on big events. They included what was then the
most expensive wedding in the world (US$78 million) in 2004, for
Vanisha Mittal, daughter of Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.
He also worked on arrangements for parties for Elton John and
the British royal family and actor Pierce Brosnan's wedding. Based
in London, he flew to Spain, Ireland, Greece, Scotland and Cyprus
to arrange party flowers. "One hundred pounds of flowers for a big
wedding was not uncommon."
Despite his European success, he decided to make the move to
China, just as the "psychic" had foretold. "A Vietnamese friend
kept telling me I was wasting my time and energy in London trying
to start my own business and that I should discover Asia."
Three months later, he visited Shanghai for 10 days.
"Within the first two days, my future was decided. I flew back
into Heathrow at 8am, at 2pm I called my estate agent, the
following day my flat was sold.
"There was no business plan, no extra research. I knew my future
would be in China. During my first year, I met my boyfriend and
future business partner."
Lathuile has quickly made a name for himself using Chinese
elements like bamboo and orchids. He never gets involved in
marketing himself. People find him through word of mouth or
media.
Working in China can be tough, but he says he has "never come
across so much loyalty and depth in relationship between me and my
staff."
(Shanghai Daily January 29, 2008)