PETER J. HONEYMAN

Originator of “Wearable Real Flowers of Hawaii”

“PJH” as he is known, has spent a varied and interesting career:

Formative years: Served in the security forces in what was then Southern Rhodesia, Africa, in policing and anti terrorist duties in the Zambesi Valley; later as Public Prosecutor; study at the Universities of Cape Town and Cambridge; degrees in law, economics and business; ultimately becoming Chief Executive of a leading South African carpet manufacturing company operating internationally.

Move to the U.S.A.: Subsequent to the untimely death of his young wife he moved with his three children, in 1982, to California. There he established his own business interests and later also in Hawaii.

Application of artistic background: His work has developed his inherent artistic traits. Both in Southern Africa and Hawaii he has been and still is prominently directing the aesthetics of color, texture and design.

Passion for flowers: While Africa fostered his endearing love of flowers, with its profuse array of blooms in the wonderfully diverse climates in which he had lived, it was Hawaii that culminated his passion. There, he became keenly aware of visitors, leaving Honolulu Airport on their way home, wanting a last minute memento of their wonderful experience. Invariably this was a fresh-cut tropical flower, usually an orchid, alone or in a lei.

Business opportunity: Honeyman, who describes himself simply as a “business opportunist”, knew that by the time those visitors arrived home, their so emotionally important departure-flowers would be sorry looking, wilted, even dying and all too soon discarded. From his business background, artistic skills and love of flowers, he saw in this a commercial opportunity to create real flowers that are wearable – permanently! – such flowers to retain their original beauty yet above all be durable and pliable enough to wear, repeatedly, looking as if fresh cut. They must be distinctively different to, more practical than, and not confused with, dried flowers, glass, porcelain, plastic, silk or paper.

The preserved wearable flower: He found many preservatives for static displays, yet nothing suitable to make flowers wearable repeatedly. So, he developed his own. It took years. Ultimately, his processes now patented, he can lay claim to having created real preserved wearable flowers, maintaining the integrity of the original, looking fresh and at the same time being robust enough for repeated handling, which claim is manifest in his registered business’ name “Wearable Real Flowers of Hawaii”.

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