Meet Ryan Park | Costume Designer & Stylist

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

Hi Ryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting my own business wasn’t that deliberate or involved, really. I worked for a very successful designer for about ten years. Towards the end of that working relationship I realized I would need to establish myself on my own in order to be able to do the things I was really wanting to do in my career. I basically left, went out on my own, with very little work ahead. One thought had during this time was that if I was able to put the work and support into my own career that I was putting in for someone else, I would be able to flourish.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
One thing that I struggled with when I was starting out, which I imagine many young artists struggle with… Is having a unique identity in the work. I think I really tried so hard to make sure my work was interesting and undeniably “Ryan Park”…. I came to understand after years of working that if you just trust and follow a process, that DNA or unique identity will just inherently come through.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It may sound super simple, but one thing I love about New York City is taking a walk. I walk all over the city, miles and miles a day. You see the most interesting people and things everywhere, and there is always something new to discover. I live in Hell’s Kitchen which is hard to romanticize, but it is vibrant and full of life and energy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Broadway Dreams Foundation is a non for profit arts education program, that I’ve worked with for many years. Their mission is to provide youth and young adults of all socioeconomic backgrounds with performance training, life skills building, and mentorship opportunities from the entertainment industry’s most distinguished talents. My best friend and now business partner, Kelly Le Vine, introduced me to the Broadway Dreams. Because of Kelly and BDF’s Executive Director I’ve worked with many of the faculty professionally, on productions all across the country.

Website: RYANPARKDESIGN.com

Instagram: @RyanParkDesign

Image Credits
(imprinted in photos)