About the Designer
Tiffany Chan is a Los Angeles-based artist, photographer, and published author. She has become well known for her viral social media posts on TikTok and Instagram showcasing her design skills in the worlds of fantasy, cosplay, and renaissance fashion.
Tiffany, or "Kipani" as she often goes by, was born on October 21st, 1987 in Northern California, and the youngest of 3 siblings. Since she was a child, she felt a strong need to express herself artistically, which her parents and older brothers lovingly supported. Her mother, a musician and concert photographer, always encouraged her to break from the mundane and seek out her passions through whatever medium drove her artistic desires. From writing short stories, poetry, and novellas, to spending countless hours sketching, painting, and photographing elements that captured her interest. Since high school, she has dabbled in sewing and costume design, but it wasn't until 2020 that she began experimenting with mixed-media and fashion to create unique costumes and designs of her own.
Introduced to art technique by her father at a young age, she took several years of art classes during high school and at Chico State University through a demanding concurrent enrollment program. This is where she was introduced to the beauty of fantasy and pin-up artistry of artists like Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Brian Froud, J. Scott Campbell, and Eric Stanton who specialized in portraying strength and beauty of the female form. Their work continues to influence her own in projects today.
While art acted as therapy throughout her college years and into her career as a creative writing professor, and later director of educational technology for global corporations, imposter syndrome took its toll. Feeling never quite good enough, her art and writing was buried in closets and sketchbooks, behind closed doors for most of her life.
Despite all that, art and writing continued to be ever-present while raising her three children. She dove into these mediums further through the tragic experiences of losing their home and pets to the California Campfire of 2018, and her brother to complications of HIV just a year later. However, she was able to use her art to channel her feelings and grow strength to support those around her.
In recent years, and monumental support from family and friends, she has obtained a doctorate and post-doctorate in the field of education, and a Masters in Creative Writing. Through her own writing and crafting fantasy-inspired designs, there is colliding of influences from fantasy romance novels, photography, and a vast range of artists. Her designs are crafted to portray empowerment, strength, sensuality, with mystical elements, a dash of elegance, and sprinkled with enchantment. Her work features mixed-media art in combination with luxurious fabrics and unique techniques.
