We were lucky to catch up with Oksana Derina recently and have shared our conversation below.

Oksana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I came to the USA to pursue my career in the film industry. Not having any education in the industry ( I went to law school), I knew I wanted to work with costumes in films. I love period movies and always wanted to be involved in research and costume design for them. I started collaborating with film students and helping them with costumes for their school projects. It helped me to get knowledge and experience, which brought me confidence to design my first feature film, and finally get my first paycheck as Costume Designer.

Oksana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a costume designer, a member of Local 705, and a creative director based in Los Angeles. I have made my career working in the entertainment and film industry as a costume designer, wardrobe stylist and costumer in multiple films, music videos, editorial photography, and commercials. As a member of Local 705 in the film industry, I worked directly with such actors as Kate Hudson, Michael Shannon, Tyler Posey, Donald Sutherland, and many others. The pandemic has drastically altered the entertainment industry, with the film industry being unable to operate for over two years, and digital marketing experiencing a surge in demand. As a result, I realized the need to adapt to the changing landscape and quickly transitioned from working as a stylist on numerous digital projects for different brands to my current role as a Creative Director. While I still love styling and design, I am thoroughly enjoying my new position.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to express yourself freely and share your unique perspective with others. You’re always trying new things and growing as a person and professional. You can make a positive impact on the world by spreading awareness, inspiring people to take action, or just making them happy. As a designer and creative director I pay extreme attention to little details, as these are the factors that help create a story worth seeing either on the big screen or on your phone. Being able to convey a message that evokes a feeling through my work is worth everything.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the whole freelancer situation. People might be surprised or skeptical when I say that I am a freelancer. They always would say why do I need all these struggles, why don’t I get “a real job”. Not having sturdy and consistent work at the beginning is hard and scary indeed. But at the same time, it teaches you not to give up, it teaches you about self-confidence and self-worth, because you are the only one who believes in yourself at this point. It helps to develop so many skills you didn’t even know you have. All in all, it’s a challenging but rewarding path that can lead to personal and professional growth and financial stability once you get a steady stream of work coming in. Many non-creatives will not understand that of course there is an economic motivator in this career, but, what really drives us at first as artists is the opportunity to express ourselves and create, which is worth more to us than a steady lather to climb in a corporate world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/roxyder

Image Credits
JGV Studios Jorchual Gregory Vargas