About Me
Who am I
Date of Birth
October 16, 1980Address
Brooklyn, NYCNationality
AmericanMy Cover Letter gives only a glimpse of me...
Conceptualization and Production – while there is much to be said about the process and realities of design in the world today, these two terms are critical to understanding my point-of-view. Practicing designers can be torn by the tension between meticulously shaping a vision and actually delivering a product, project, or solution. Working at a range of scales and across a range of disciplines, designers ultimate challenge is to come up with a good idea and do whatever it takes to see it created.
Nothing can Substitute my Experience!
Yes, I have taken risks and gained
Experience
Fashion Designer
Accessories
As a fashion and accessory designer for brands including Tory Burch, Calvin Klein and Karl . Working with overseas production partners, I have developed over 125 million dollars of product for a range of customer profiles.
Creative Director
Fashion
Trend and creative direction for fashion requires more than an idea, under my leadership design teams influence the direction and growth of a brand. My 30+ person teams are responsible for seeing and shaping the context of the marketplace, and I drove our creative direction to optimize brand positioning.
Production Designer
Film & Television
As a production designer I lead a team of art directors, set designers, decorators, scenic painters, fabricators and props people. At even the earliest stages of production my coordination with directors, producers, lighting, camera, transportation, stunt and other departments is key to controlling budgets before construction, fabrication and procurement even begin.
Experiential Designer
Environment & Event
Similar to products, brands, art and film, experiential design requires a unique project tailored to exact specifications. In order to create something intentional, durable, safe, and most importantly interesting experience design must also contend with site, cost, and budget limitations. Particularly important to me is that exhibits and experiences address the needs of everyone. Adaptive strategies and construction that is thoughtful about the ability of participants is paramount to the success of both the client and our design team.
Maker
Logistics
I travel to the ends of the Earth to seek inspiration and creative solutions, making concepts become realities. Bringing ideas to life is a great passion. Working with a spectrum from indigenous crafts people to cutting edge technology allows me to continuously develop innovative techniques for problem solving. In particular, this allows me to consider sustainable and ethical approaches that support my ability to scale projects up for my professional work.
Business Owner
Founder & CEO
The passion to create is also what drives me to be an entrepreneur. Addressing a need in the marketplace requires a diverse set of skills – leadership and a team. Seeds of Change and Beau + Arrow, both started as an idea driven out of my personal experience. The process of moving from a concept to retail requires me to both lead and be flexible, fill any role, continuously shift gears, and make hard decisions when no one else can.
Experience gained over the Years
Steps to go before...
The journey of thousand miles
Received Degree
September 1999 to May 2002
Graduate from New College of Florida with a Bachelors in Arts. Intern at Graphic Studio, USF and assist Kiki Smith and assemble Keith Sonnier sculpture for the Smithsonian. Move to NYC work with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to assist in rebuilding after 9/11 as a community arts administrator.
Opened Burrow
August 2004
Returned to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology studying Accessory Design. Opened Burrow, a designer collective in SoHo NYC, hosting a platform for designers to take their goods direct to retail. Costumed my first off Broadway production.
Received Degree
May 2006
Graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology with an AAS in Accessory Design. Begin work as a full time designer specializing in footwear and handbags for such clients as Carlos Santana, Fortuna Valentino, Target, and Walmart.
Production Design Feature Film
October 2009
Design first feature length film, Finding Virginia. Continue stylist work in print media for such clients as Everyday with Rachel Ray, GQ, Real Simple, and commercial clients Dillard’s and Origins.
Teach Design
2012
Design curriculum and teach Illustrator 1: Exploring Adobe Illustrator and Vector Illustrations and Illustrator II: Practical Applications and Applied Design at Studio Arts in Los Angeles, CA.
IATSE 800 Art Director’s Guild
2013
Join the Art Director’s Guild union as a film and television Production Designer. Begin official role as Northeast Regional Representative.
Open Beau + Arrow Handbags
July 2014
Open Beau + Arrow Handbags as a Founder and Co-owner.
Start Seeds of Change Mala
January 2016
Open Seeds of Change Mala a sustainable and fairtrade business to promote meditation. Work with women in Indonesia to foster grassroots entrepreneurship and produce fairtrade goods.
Make Short Film
September 2018
Production and Wardrobe Design “Pretty Dead” film as part of the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge. Film premieres at HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival.
Creativity in Execution
My Key Strength
I’m driven and that has allowed me the privilege of having a career that embraces improvisation, passion, beauty, and art. Much of my success can be attributed to being versatile, and embracing new opportunities with increasingly more responsibility. Each of my experiences have contributed to my ability to manage the development of solutions to complex problems. As I continue to design, I want to take my range of experiences and apply them to social problems I see in the world around me.
Whether I was designing a movie, producing goods overseas, or solving a cost-related issue for a client I have seen numerous opportunities for innovation that would yield a tangible benefit. As a creative professional incorporating social, economic, and environmental sustainability into my industry is my critical path. Growing my education and expertise to continuously improve results is my direct intention.
Area of Interests
My Interests
Skills
Language Skills
Working globally has allowed me to encounter and partner with a diverse range of peoples and cultures. Communication is the key to a successful partnership and through in the field studies and applying cutting edge technology I am continuously developing language skills.
English
Spanish
Indonesian
Sign Language
Previous Companies
Words from
Testimonials
Niki played a crucial role in helping directors to achieve the weekend’s creative vision. She demonstrated time and again that she can consistently handle the pressure of fast-paced environments and she leads a team with appreciation and respect
Katrina Medoff & Tracy SayreCo-Directors, Women's Weekend Film ChallengeNiki is amazingly creative and resourceful. Give her resources and freedom and she can make magic.
Romie LittrellProducer, Guerilla ScienceNiki is a fun loving and relatable teacher, she’s always expanding your understanding and the relevance of the topics at hand. There is never a dry moment in her presence as she weaves in her extraordinary journey, her humanness, and her deep acceptance into all she imparts.
Eva Louise WilliamsFounder, Golden Lotus
Niki’s willingness to go above and beyond is what propels her to the top of the industry. We could always trust that problems we saw in the course of business would be dealt with quickly and judiciously. She always brought a can-do attitude that resulted in success.
Shannon SchaferSr. Fashion Director, NordstromAs a performer, working in the physical worlds that Niki created was as empowering as it was inspiring. Rarely do I have such a true sense of collaboration with a designer/producer.
Jerrod DenmarkPerforming ArtistI have found Niki to be an excellent creative collaborator who has provided me with insightful script development notes, and helped me to understand the role of production design in enhancing the emotional heft of a scene/story.
Conor RyanScreen Writer
