Meet Tika von Mehren

We recently connected with Tika Von Mehren and have shared our conversation below.

Tika, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

In the middle of my junior year of high school my father passed away. I went to bed one night and the next morning my entire life changed. The shift was cosmic. Instantly my entire world was thrown into chaos. In less than twenty four hours my life had gone from teenage girl worrying about a junior prom date to not knowing if I would ever be able to stop crying. In the weeks and months that followed I was constantly told how strong I was. It was confusing to constantly be told I was strong when I felt the farthest thing from strong. As I got older I began to realize that what most people were trying to say was resilient I was however, at the time I didn’t think I had a choice but to be resilient. I could not rely on my mother or any other family members for guidance through the tragedy so I found my own way. There was definitely some disassociating going on and suppression of emotions, which through many years of therapy I have started to untangle thank goodness, but over all I look back and realize I also made the choice to find some joy and excitement to look forward to. The idea of things to come and the optimism of what my next adventure could be have always given me the ability to more easily adapt to every situation good or bad. I know I have already survived the worst.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a freelance costume designer and costumer in Los Angeles California from Philadelphia. Growing up I learned to sew, knit, embroider and crochet. I loved doing anything craft based. I was involved in local theater and school theater in middle school but discovered preforming was not for me. In high school I was introduced to the world of costume design by my high school theater director. She asked me if I wanted to help behind the scenes and that is where I could marry my sewing skills and love of theater together without ever having to be on stage. It was perfection. I began to realize this could be a full profession and instantly directed my career goals to working costumes for theater. In college I began more involved with film and tv which lead me to LA. I trained for two years at a historical clothing costume house her in LA which captured my history loving heart. In many ways this career is the perfect blend of so many of my favorite things, I am a proud Philadelphian and major sports fan! Travel is also a hobby and passion of mine. I try to take a trip as frequently as I can but exploring the world has always been a priority to me!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say the first quality that has served me is curiosity. I was lucky that in my early life I was exposed to art and culture from around the world. My parents and grandparents had traveled the world and they installed that curiosity and desire to discover new things in me early on. Especially for people in creative fields the more you learn about the world and different places the better you are and the more you have to draw upon.

For my particular career knowing how to sew in some capacity is key. Just being able to communicate with the other artisans you have the privilege to collaborate with is necessary. Sewing and the language of construction regarding clothes is so important in the collaborative process that is costume design.

Kindness and someones ability to see and celebrate everyone around them is a truly extraordinary quality. Being kind and lifting up others while you pursue your dreams I believe yields better results. The world of costume design is a collaborative art form and while it has its toxic moments nothing gets accomplished by just one person.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

The fist thins that has helped me overcome challenges and build my skills is trial and error. I have had many times over the last decade where I did not get it quite right or after a project was complete I figured out how to do it better. I am so grateful for those moments of growth and learning. It can be tricky being in a creative field because sometimes, especially on a larger scale project, there can feel like there is no room for learning. Everything has to be done perfectly all the time and failure is not allowed. But that is how we grow. From trying something or getting something wrong.

I would love to find directors, producers and writers to collaborate with. People who are hitting their creative stride and want to collaborate on projects in 2025.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tikavonmehren.com/

Image Credits

Just a fun note. For the photo where I am wearing a sweater I knit that sweater myself!