Story Time
I’m Ariana, but if you came here from one of my Reels, you might know me as “the hoop girl.” I absolutely suck at introductions, so let me just tell you about my journey.
I lowkey always felt like an outsider. Everyone around me seemed to have a plan - get a high-paying corporate job, become a doctor, go into real estate, whatever. Meanwhile, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to be. I just knew none of those things felt like me.
Before any of this, I actually danced ballet professionally, and my original dream was to dance at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Life clearly had other plans for me, and that dream never happened. Instead, I ended up moving to Canada to study fashion.
One thing I did always know about myself was that I was creative as fuck. I’ve always had a crazy imagination- whether it was coming up with designs, putting outfits together, decorating spaces, or randomly deciding I could make something myself instead of buying it. I’ve always loved being surrounded by things that are aesthetically pleasing, but I get even more satisfaction from being the person who created them.
In 2020, that started with me making gun-shaped candles. Then one thing led to another, and I slowly found myself making basketball hoops, hypebeast-inspired art and decor, experimenting with different materials, and basically turning whatever was in my head into something I could actually touch.
Somewhere along the way, the basketball hoops became my thing. And eventually, I became “the hoop girl.”
“Created to create” has always felt like my life slogan. And “designed with fear of being average” pretty much sums up both me and my work. I’ve never wanted to make something just because it looks nice. I want it to feel like whoever- or whatever I’m creating it for.
I think one of my biggest strengths as an artist is being able to pick up on someone’s aura, a brand’s personality, or the feeling of a space and somehow translate that into an actual piece of art. Two people can ask me for the exact same thing and I’ll probably create two completely different pieces, because they’re two completely different people.
That’s the whole point. I don’t make average shit for average spaces.