Meet Edina Hiser | Costume and Production Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Edina Hiser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edina, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is a huge part of my career. In order to work in the entertainment industry, I think a certain amount of risk taking is a necessity. Moving across the country to go to school in California (I was born and raised in Maryland) was really the risk that started it all. It was that choice to go out on a limb that has lead me to where I am now in my life and career. I also believe that as an artist, taking risks is essential to honing your craft. You have to be okay with failing sometimes and making mistakes or you deprive yourself of the opportunity to grow and find interesting solutions. I have learned that whenever I feel slightly uncomfortable working on a project or taking a job, it is usually where my creativity thrives the most.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is a very mixed bag of projects and experiences. I have an array of artistic interests and I am always looking for new ways to express my creativity. That often means collecting skills all over the place. I embroider, sew, bead, paint, sculpt, draw, dye clothing, make masks, do SFX makeup, Photoshop, and more, most of which are largely self-taught skills. I love to figure out how to do things I’ve never done before. Out of all the projects that I have done, I am most excited and proud of the work where I have designed and crafted something from start to finish. For example, I was tasked with making a realistic-looking stingray prop for Disney Plus’s “Something Bit Me”. I had an idea for how to make it work and with a few days, EVA foam, bike chain, neoprene, and flex seal, I had a camera-ready stingray. It has not been easy–I’ve worked a lot and not always with the highest budgets, but my passion for the work and excitement to learn is what keeps me going. The biggest lessons I’ve learned are to trust myself and know my worth, but also to listen and take in as much as I can from the talented people around me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite things to do with out-of-towners is to go thrifting on Melrose. There are so many great shops in the area with all sorts of vintage and consignment gems (plus brunch spots like Blu Jam). I also love museums, so a trip to the Getty, the Academy Museum or FIDM’s costume exhibit would absolutely be on the list. In terms of food, Silverlake Ramen and Din Tai Fung are always favorites of mine and I frequent Blue Collar/Cold Shoulder for drinks. As an area, downtown Culver City is a fun place to hang out. The people are cool and the drinks at the Culver Hotel are stellar. After living in LA for 8 years, my list could go on forever but I’ll leave it there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Shoutout goes to my independent production team, Chaos Theory Entertainment. Zack Hosseini, Rayce Lopez, Gehrig Campbell-Dempsey, Morgan Rutter, Danny DiTorrice and Luke Sargent are some of the best collaborators and friends I have ever known. They have supported me through the last several years of my life and career. We have worked, laughed, traveled, and cried together. We’ve celebrated each other’s successes and helped make each others’ dreams a reality. They have given me a platform to express myself and my art unlike any that I have experienced thus far. Not to mention, they are the hardest working and most loving group imaginable. I don’t know where our paths will take us, but I know we’ll be there to cheer each other on the whole way.

Website: edinahiserdesigns.com

Instagram: @edinahiserdesigns

Image Credits
Emily Krisky