Today we’d like to introduce you to Talya Bendel.
Hi Talya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there! I’m Talya Bendel. A multi-hyphenate from Brooklyn, New York, now living in New Jersey. My professional background is in luxury fashion working for high-end designers and stylists. I spent my first three years in the industry and much of my college internships at styling studios. I then worked for two and a half years at Christian Siriano. I interned in the design studio/general office/showroom. Shortly after that, I was brought on to the retail flagship store, where I started styling and blogging for the company blog SirianoShopGirl. A position I held along with retail manager until the shop later relocated. Over the next few years, I had two children and started doing wardrobe, styling, and costuming for film, television, music videos, commercial shoots, and private clients in the entertainment industry.
I opened my company CFD-Creative over covid when I pivoted into production and social media content coverage. Businesses and brands hire CFD-Creative to take over socials for the day or however long is needed depending on the project. Will cover live sales, stock content, panel openings, shows, you name it. These are all things in the creative space that I love and feel I truly thrive in. My nature is to bounce around, so having a way to channel that creatively has been pivotal in my journey. I feel lucky to be able to work in an industry that has had such a great effect on my life that one can say it is my life. I always say fashion isn’t just about clothes. It’s about how you fashion yourself as a person. Be a good person and do the right thing; Help where and when you can; Create goodness, and goodness will follow.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I was sometimes creating opportunities from nothing but the need to be the first and only from my family to graduate college (that also would’ve been voted least likely to go at all); I graduated with a degree in fashion design and went straight to work. It hasn’t been smooth sailing my whole life, and I’ve had to take every opportunity and turn it into something legitimate. I’ve been married for 11 years, and just 6 weeks after our wedding, my husband was involved in a tow truck/car accident that nearly cost him his life. For the next eight months, he was bedridden, used a cane for the next 5 years, and could not play any sports—his favorite pastime. A few years into our marriage, I had a serious illness and was hospitalized. After a two-week stint, some procedures, invasive lung surgery, and three draining tubes later, I got to go home. We got to breathe for a bit of time (pun intended).
At around our fifth anniversary and the Monday after the weekend we spent celebrating it, my husband Andrew was diagnosed with cancer. Yes. Seriously. The next year he was in and out of the hospital, surgeries, chemo, the lot. Thankfully he was able to overcome it, and the treatments worked. Watching him go through all that and still be the person he is today has been and is one of the greatest joys of my life. All this happened while I was in school, working, and interning. The semester Andrew was first in the hospital was the only semester throughout college I made it to the honor roll. I still don’t know how. I know I can work through anything, sometimes better, when challenged. There were periods I was a full-time student, interning, and had a separate job doing wigs to help pay for school and rent. I’d say these are some of the more major moments in my/our life that shaped me in adulthood and as a dreamer. I know very clearly what the world has to offer and what the world can so easily take away. The theme in most of my social media posts is CarpeFashionDiem or Carpe Diem (Latin for seizing the day.) It means that you CAN make every day as great as can be. It’s as easy as deciding to. The world will turn no matter how happy or sad we are. We can watch it or join it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a multi-hyphenate specializing in wardrobe styling/costuming in the entertainment industry. I work in film, television, commercial and still photoshoots, music videos, etc., along with private clients. You name it; I’ll dress it. I also specialize in content coverage for social media, where businesses and brands hire me to cover their social media for some time. Sometimes posting live stories and feed while taking behind-the-scenes photos and videos of the shoot/event/show/opening etc. I’m most proud of what I’ve accomplished this far. I feel like I created a real place for myself within my niche specialties where I can truly thrive in. I’m most proud that in 2021-2022 I started CFD-Creative. This business has done a short film, music video, web series, and two commercials worked on content for marketing campaigns for some of the world’s biggest non-profits and covered countless events. Been flown out for work and have already hired an associate for a gig. I’ve had such a unique experience in my work history that that nuance is the secret sauce to what I bring to the table. Invaluable experience. That is what sets me apart. You can’t buy or fabricate what I bring to the table. I’m the only vendor with this merch.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Network! Network! Network! It is such a wonderful tool in life and business. Meeting people and making connections in your industry or with people with real-world knowledge in fields related to your work, if not exact, is key to growth. I’d say go to as many networking events as possible but make meaningful connections. A mentor is extremely valuable if you can get one. There are so many social groups you can join for every niche. If you look hard enough, you will find someone or something that can help you grow. Get on networking apps and get busy. Reach out until something bites.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @carpefashiondiem
- Other: https://linktr.ee/cfdcreative
