The Atelier Delphine Woman: Hilary Staton
Learn about Hilary and her story.
HILARY X ATELIER DELPHINE
Hilary Staton is filmmaker, actress, and community leader originally from Wichita, Kansas. She is now based in Los Angeles and manages Roam LA, a yoga studio where she also teaches. We originally met at the front desk at Roam, and while I am not currently taking her classes (usually at 7am!) we see each other often at the studio.
Hilary is a very kind person, with a dynamic and effortlessly carefree sense of style. She wears Atelier Delphine clothing in her own sunny Californian way–paired together as a set, with bellbottoms for a vintage feel, or draped over yoga clothes on the way to the studio. She is a very mindful shopper that cares deeply about the quality and longevity of the clothing in her closet. While she was not familiar with our brand prior to meeting, after getting to know each other she immediately connected with what I make and now incorporates many of our pieces into her wardrobe.
I am excited to share a little bit of her story: a snippet of our conversation below, with photos during a walk around the Frogtown neighborhood. Hilary wears styles from our Core Collection and 24PF.
Atelier Delphine: How did you get into the entertainment industry, and how did you become an actress?
Hilary Staton: I've been working towards an acting career for a very long time. It's been slow, but when I moved to LA, I started writing and produced my first short film, Still, in 2018. I am currently working to produce my second film, PLAYMATES, which is a horror/fantasy film dealing with mental illness and addiction, specifically the subject of eating disorders. It is written from my personal journey with anorexia.
Atelier Delphine: Can you tell us a bit about your path from Kansas to California? Was pursuing an acting career the motivation to move?
HS: Before I moved to LA, I lived in Chicago for 6 years. I was married at the time, and he didn't like living in Chicago. I was just starting to gain some traction in the Chicago market, signing with an agent and developing relationships with casting directors, when we decided to move back to Kansas. It felt pretty hopeless for me to leave everything and return to Wichita, but I also knew our marriage would not make it if we didn't move back. Our marriage ended up not making it anyway, but I am so grateful I was near family when that ended. My parents are my biggest cheerleaders. My time back in Kansas was incredibly healing, and then a friend who lived in LA needed a roommate. I never lost my love of acting and storytelling. While in Wichita, I acted in a lot of theatre and some short films. When the opportunity to move to LA presented itself, I had to take it. I had to try my luck at acting in LA, and it's here that I discovered a love of screenwriting and filmmaking.
AD: Can you share a bit about your creation process? Your film Still is something that many people find relatable, yet it is deeply personal. What was the inspiration behind it?
HS: So far, my writing has all been taken from personal experiences. Still was based on the end of my marriage. As the saying goes, "write what you know." And that's what I do.
Before I wrote Still, I knew I had a story in me, but I didn't know what it looked like or what it was even about. My friends all told me to just start writing and the story would come together. That did make any sense to me, but after moving to LA, I started following the example of my friends here who would meet every week to sit and write and create. I joined them at a Starbucks in Burbank. Sitting there in silence, watching them write, still stuck in my head about where to start, I pulled out an old notebook. When I opened it, I opened to an old journal entry I'd made during the separation from my ex. At the risk of sounding corny, but I promise this is what happened: at the same time, a song started playing in the Starbucks and between the lyrics of the song and my own words from the year before, I knew what to write. I just started scribbling, and in an hour I had the first draft of the film. It took another 24 months of re-writes before it was ready to film. I had an amazing cinematographer and editor team who really pushed me and encouraged me to get it done. I found a strong team of women to produce the film, and we shot it 2 years after that initial writer's session in the Burbank Starbucks. So, my process is ... very long.
AD: Do you immediately feel the deep connection between your audience through your film? How does that feel like if so?
HS: I do actually! The connection that stands out the most is a conversation I had with an individual after a screening. They had a similar experience to the story of Still. However, they were the one who was not faithful in their relationship. For this person, seeing this story changed their perspective around certain things. I pray that through their reception of this story and the conversation I had with them after, they were able to forgive themselves and find healing within.
AD: How did you get into Yoga?
HS: I started practicing yoga about 20 years ago.
I was just getting out of recovery from my eating disorder. I discovered that my yoga mat was the only place where my mind stopped being so critical of my body. My body could move freely without judgement, and my spirit -- my heart -- could finally breathe.
You can find Hilary's class schedule at Roam LA in Frogtown (pictured on the left) at this link.
AD: What kind of activities do you like to do outside of work, and in your free time?
HS: Watching movies, writing, surfing, hiking, and volunteering at the Hope Center. Spending time with friends and building community are how I like to spend my time when I can. I'm also starting a podcast called "My Dead Ends" which I am aiming to launch in July 2024!
AD: I want to know more about this podcast! Is it recording now? What is it about?
HS: Thank you for asking! “My Dead Ends with Hilary Staton” is a deep dive into the pain, disappointment and sometimes triumphs around interrupted and unrealized dreams. Being someone who feels perpetually stuck in receiving no’s to all my dreams and pursuits, I want to know how it is that some people thrive through the pain when their career is terminated or their heart is broken. These are my questions.
AD: At this point in your life, what do you want? Materially, mentally? I know it’s a blunt question but I wanted to ask!
HS: That's an interesting question. I don't really think a lot about what I want. Well ... I'll just be completely transparent and blunt in response. I would really like the funding so I can make my next short film PLAYMATES haha! It's going to cost a little bit. 😬
Materially, I don't need a lot, but what I do have I want it to be high quality. Like your clothing. The designs are so unique, beautiful and fashionable, but there's a simplicity without compromise on quality at Atelier Delphine. Mentally, I would really like to travel more!
