My design journey began in the military.

 

Up until I was 20, I didn’t understand the importance of visual expression.

Then, I joined the army.

 

I had to shave my head and wasn’t allowed to choose my own clothes. When my entire appearance was dictated by someone else, I understood for the first time how important visual identity can be.

 

With no access to beauty supplies or creative outlets, research during limited downtime became my refuge—a way to reclaim individuality when uniformity was enforced. I taught myself everything I could, building technique and skill for transformation through sheer curiosity and persistence.

 

Being stripped down to a blank canvas revealed endless possibilities.

 

To this day, the idea of a blank canvas excites me. There are countless ways to transform someone and tell a story. Every production brings its own emotional and visual landscape. Studying its history, tone, and subtext informs each design choice—whether it’s a subtle eyeliner or unconventional materials like vinyl and mirror shards. Every performer brings a distinct physicality and energy: the shape of their face, the texture of their hair, the way they move and inhabit a character. Those unique traits, combined with the production’s world, form the foundation of my design, shaping choices in texture, silhouette, and detail. I believe in collaboration, specificity, and transformation—using makeup and hair to visually externalize emotion, identity, and world-building.

 

The blank canvas excites me because it’s never truly blank; it carries a story waiting to be revealed.