by Harry Mosquera
Linda Floro, one of the leading ladies of food styling in the Philippines, passed away recently. She is survived by her husband and creative cohort, the photographer Mark Floro, and their son Jonathan.
Although she worked behind the scenes, her handiwork in food packaging, print ads, and television commercials was sought after and greatly appreciated by the advertising people that she worked and collaborated with.
Mitch So, currently senior assistant vice-president for leasing in SM Supermalls, has fond memories of Linda who she worked with on the Del Monte account at McCann-Erickson. She recalls an instance when they were doing a shoot for a Del Monte Pork and Beans print ad. “The beans must appear like they’re smiling,” Linda said, as she examined a vat of beans, and carefully chose the best ones to be artfully arranged in a dainty blue bowl.
That moment left a lasting impression on the then-young account executive. “Throughout my working life, I remember her smiling beans,” Mitch shares. “No detail would be too small, or unimportant.” And she adds, “I was like her little padawan A.E., watching closely and taking down notes. From Tita Linda, I learned the art of patience, for perfection took time.”
“Tita” is a term of endearment given to Linda by the many people who were touched by her simplicity, creativity, and generosity. It was not unusual for her to develop long-term friendships with agency people after a project.
“At first I thought she was masungit,” recalls Irene Chingcuango, a freelance senior producer who initially worked with Linda as a talent caster at the defunct AB Communications for Quick Chow and Wendy’s. “(Then) I sat with her and found out how ma-kwento she could be, especially when the topic was about family. The way she’d tell her stories was so full of love. Nanay na nanay.”
Irene also recalls how Linda would bring food to a shoot and share with anyone who would want to eat. “I remember the apple strudel… and her salads too,” Irene says. “She’d bring them because that’s the mother in her wanting to feed her crew with love and affection.”
With more than two decades’ experience, Linda’s clients included top brands like Kraft, Chow King, Purefoods, Jollibee, Greenwich, and Red Ribbon. She was also a successful restaurateur, with her own Buon Giorno restaurants.
Linda was a firm believer in the talent of Filipino food stylists. “Filipinos are at par with foreign food stylists,” she once proclaimed in a magazine article. “In fact, Pinoy food stylists are tapped by foreign countries to do food styling abroad.”
Believing that talent must be shared, she regularly gave back to the community by holding seminars on food styling and photography in schools and industry events with her husband Mark.
Linda actually began her career as a restaurant consultant. Because she was also a good cook, and loved to bake, she earned a reputation as a food demonstrator before eventually becoming a food stylist.
As a food stylist, Linda worked in tandem with her husband Mark Floro, considered as the country’s foremost food photographer. It was a practical consideration as much as a creative one, because the inputs of the photographer (or film director) are vital to bring out the best of the food stylist’s craft. As Linda herself once put it, “It’s a team effort. The food stylist gives the best possible presentation, and the photographer or the film director has to make sure he captures the ‘best’.”
