We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ciciley Hoffman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ciciley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
People are often surprised when I say I know I am meant to be a costume designer, because it’s such a specific vocation, but when I made my first costume for a play, I knew. I’d always been interested in fashion and had been involved in the theater initially as an actor. In my schooling, I was taught different aspects of the stage (lights, set building, sound, etc.) and when costume design came around, I knew it was my spot. There’s a character in the sitcom The Good Place, Chidi, who describes the inside of his mind sounding like, “a fork in a garbage disposal,” and that rang so true to me. When I’m designing, charting a script, or on set, that sound goes away. That’s how I know it’s my purpose.
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’m a costume designer for film/television and commercials, a high profile wardrobe stylist and image consultant, and fashion editor. I’ve had films in the Cannes Film Festival, worked with international brands, and collaborated with preeminent artists and thinkers. I have vast knowledge of the history of fashion and avant garde designers, which I’m known for using in indie films and with groundbreaking, influential people. I am also the BOH stylist for the charity Fashion is for Every Body, and our seventh runway show is September 9th!
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?
Learning to sew was massively helpful in my journey. Knowing how to construct clothes and how fabrics work is critical to understanding how costumes will translate to the human body, and makes you a stronger story teller. It’s also a great way to learn the history of fashion, because patterns translate to the time period from which they came. Another huge help for me was the 48 Hour Film Project, and I always tell anyone potentially interested in a film/tv career in any capacity to start there. It is a weekend competition in which teams make an entire short film in just forty eight hours from random prompts given on a Friday evening. It is a microcosm of life on a professional film set, and if you love it, film is for you. If you hate it, you’re only out a weekend. Another important thing to develop is relationships with your community. I got to many film festivals… mixers, fashion, and drag shows. Most people don’t like networking, but it’s important to be an active member who fosters connections. That’s how you get hired and rehired once people see what you can do.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for filmmakers and producers to work with to tell stories, and image consultation/stylist clients/artists to make feel confident. If anyone wants to connect, I am available at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cicileyhoffman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cicileyhoffman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cicileyhoffman
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cicileyhoffman
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4263171/
Image Credits
Bo Boswell, Gabriel Max Starner, Roman White, Motke Dapp and Micah Simms, Monica Murray and Chris Barkley.
