Born and raised in Ridgewood, Jennifer Taves is the first NYC-born Brazilian creatrix (artist of many creations) in her family. Her passion for fashion and costumes began at LaGuardia High School where she ran a fashion design club after hours and hosted an annual fashion show. She further developed her skills at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned a degree in fashion design as well as a second degree in Accessories Design.
After college, she interned with Kim Hicks, a custom evening-wear designer at Bergdorf Goodman. She went on to work on lines for Vera Wang for Macy’s and several shoe lines for Cappelli NY. She then shifted to costume design at Rubie’s Costumes, where she worked for seven years and created over 100 costumes that sold more than 70 million units. When the company relocated, she switched gears to selling costumes at festivals and designing custom orders. Jen now shares her love of creating and designing headpieces and costumes for various performers and theaters.
Recently she has felt the call to shift gears from solo creating to sharing her love of the arts through teaching and through hosting workshops at the re-opening of Make Fun Studio, a community-based arts collective focused on skill sharing and collaborative projects.
NB: We last interviewed you in 2020. What’s changed and what’s stayed the same in your life since then?
JT: I now have a loving pandemic pet. A beautiful Egyptian Mau kitty named Juno. I’m no longer in a long-term relationship and focusing on my art and business more.
NB: Other than the amazing diversity, what do/did you love most about living in Queens (or Queens in general)? How has Queens changed over the years? When we last interviewed you, said that “a bit more gentrification is happening as real estate agents are starting to say that Ridgewood is the new Williamsburg.” Has Ridgewood become the new Williamsburg?
JT: It’s evolved but still retains some old world mom and pop shop values. The fancy coffee shops and eateries have been the best development. Plus, better quality of events at local bars too! These things make the neighborhood richer without having it become as faux fancy as Williamsburg. Ridgewood still feels more down-to-earth and sociable than many places I’ve been in Williamsburg. It’s like we have the best of multiple neighborhoods all overlapping in a beautiful mix-up of art, food, and scenes.
NB: How does Queens inspire you? What are some of your favorite places to be inspired in Queens?
JT: I truly love the mini zen garden in my hood; it’s a little piece of outdoor shared community, with a book trading cupboard too! I love the quirkiness of Queens. How each neighborhood here carries its own vibe and is known for something different. Also, a vast rise in the amount of small thrift shops is really fun and easy to go on a shopping wander walk with friends through Myrtle Avenue and get some great deals!
NB: Is creative or artistic talent innate and/or can it be taught/developed? How important is daily practice? Do you ever get stage fright/camera shy/performance anxiety or have advice about overcoming it?
JT: I do believe high level talent is inherited but can be greatly enhanced through practice and development too. The initial interest and eye for things have to be there. It’s like an internal seed that needs to be watered to sprout and flourish. A seed can be as simple as an idea too…. simply to try a new thing to see if it’s enjoyable or not. I definitely get nervous and have had imposter syndrome before. Working through this is difficult but gets easier. Practice helps a lot and developing a sense of letting go of results is helpful too.
NB: How important is personal connection and communication (networking?) in your industry?
JT: Most of my clients have been through in-person networking and word of mouth recommendations. This hands-on type of creative work requires a more personal touch.
NB: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? What is something you wish you knew a decade or two ago?
JT: There are two people you need to please in life, yourself at eight and yourself at 80! Wish I knew how to identify certain personality types faster. Red flag training would have been helpful.
NB: What are your favorite restaurants, cafes, theaters, bookstores, and other venues in Queens?
JT: Bar Freda is my fav spot for social gatherings! Nest Bakery is absolutely divinely delicious.
NB: What do you wish more people knew about being a creatrix? What is something you wish you knew before you became a creatrix?
JT: I wish more folks knew how to let themselves experiment, as you never know which side quests will lead to a further developed project in the future. I wish I knew how to better organize my projects and properly catalog and document my own creations.
NB: What is something you wish I had asked? Please let me know what that question is, and answer it. Thank you.
JT: Question: What is your personal life philosophy?
Answer: Love thyself the way you love others and let your daily world guide you with signs and soul signals.
NB: Do you have any events or projects coming up that you’d like to promote?
JT: Yes!!! Exciting news! Save the date for the grand re-opening of Make Fun Studios on October 10th!! Hope to see you there. My first workshop will be September 30, Visor Crown crafting. Delve into the world of creative headpiece making! Beginner level friendly. You will be taken on a guided lesson to create a beautifully decorated visor that will shade you from the sun and then you can flip it to be a crown for a night out on the town!
NB: If you could choose only one costume or outfit to represent Queens, what would it be and why?
JT: I might choose a 90s hoochie mamma barbeque vibe look with the big gold hoops and short cheeky denim shorts and a spray-painted tank top….as it’s nostalgic to my summers growing up here and eating Italian ices while walking around the neighborhood in similar fashions.
NB: What is a typical day like for you?
JT: Starting the day with meditation and breakfast … then heading off to the workshop to dive into some projects. Hopefully meeting friends afterwards for dinner or a comedy show or burlesque.
NB: Can you tell us more about your work with Make Fun Studios? Why did you decide to shift gears from solo creating to sharing your love of the arts through teaching through hosting workshops?
JT: I noticed after volunteering to host a few workshops at festivals that this was something really therapeutic and fun. Not just for the participants but for me too. Sharing what you enjoy and watching others enjoy it is a major gift of life. I had been hoping to find an outlet to do so and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped.
NB: What’s a wild story (PG-13) you have about NYC before the times of cell phones or social media?
JT: I remember all the beeper codes we had to remember. They were hilarious…. basically spelling in code done with numbers. My friends and I would send a special code if we saw a hottie pass by as like a special wink to each other as teenagers!
NB: How do you know when something you’re working on (or piece, or any type of art) is “done” (finished, complete)?
JT: Sometime projects stay for a while as a UFO – Unfinished Fabulous Object. Until you find the right trim or bauble and boom!!!! The end result releases a mental “gasm” for me … much like a sigh of excitement and relief to witness the creation in its final form. It’s a feeling that happens when seeing the final result.
NB: Can you tell us more about your work creating and designing headpieces and costumes for various performers and theaters? What have been some of the challenges and joys?
JT: Seeing the end result of how a piece works with the performer is the true prize. It can be extremely challenging with scheduling and budgets mostly. Sometimes you have to drop all other projects to do so which is very difficult but worth the results.
—Nicollette Barsamian
The Local-Express interview series was originated on July 3, 2013 by Nicollette Barsamian.