Sofia Cirincione, veteran of design and construction, is building her most personal project to date. Velvet Hammer Collective was founded by Cirincione in 2020, but the blueprints have been in her mind much longer. The creative fabrication company aims to bring clients' visions to life through creative design and direction by Cirincione and her team. No matter the industry, no matter the medium, Velvet Hammer seeks to excite any audience with their bold but careful visual curations.
Though Velvet Hammer is still in its infancy, Circione has been making a name for herself, designing in the creative fabrication field for years. She’s overseen everything from Versace installs at Art Basel in 2019, to build outs for Formula One’s luxury brand activations all over Miami.
The multimedia artist is formalizing her signature stamp on these sets and events that she continues to build through the creation of Velvet Hammer. Her clientele couldn’t be more diverse, but they all call this collective home for whatever projects they’re dreaming up. Velvet Hammer has been well-established, in ethos, in Cirincione’s mind, but is finally manifesting itself in a physical space.
Sofia Cirincione sat down with PAPER to discuss the creation of Velvet Hammer Collective, her unique entrepreneurial experience and her values as a multimedia artist.
What led you to founding Velvet Hammer Collective?
Velvet Hammer Collective was born out of a desire to create space for creative fabrication — for artists, for ideas, and for learning. I’ve always felt most at home in creative environments, and I wanted to build a shop where people could explore their capabilities while contributing to something larger. I wanted a space that incorporated all trades with a sense of community. It was important to me to build something rooted in care as much as capability. Where ambition and learning exist side by side.
What was the biggest challenge you faced starting this business and what helped you persevere through?
The biggest challenge was working up the courage to build the space according to my vision. I was committed to opening a shop large enough to support projects and people working on a grand scale. Early on, that vision felt risky because my capabilities didn’t fit neatly into a single category. All while navigating an industry that didn’t always assume I belonged in positions of authority. I was wearing every hat: creative, strategist, engineer, operator, accountant, motivator. Embracing that dynamism and allowing the work to define itself ultimately became one of the company’s biggest strengths. What helped me persevere was trust- from clients, collaborators, and people who believed in both my creativity and my character. Every project, every early win, and every collaborator that came to feel like family reinforced that Velvet Hammer was moving in the right direction. By staying close to the work, committing to mentorship, and building a team that learned and grew together, we created momentum. I learned to trust progress even when the path wasn’t perfectly linear. The shop grew because the people in it grew. That made the risk worth it.
How would you define your creative ethos?
My creative ethos is rooted in kindness, strength, elegance and grit. Velvet Hammer thrives in contrast: softness and solidity, fantasy and functionality, experimentation and polish. If a design or build feels too safe, it’s probably not finished. Every material choice, color, seam, weld, cut, and surface has meaning. My background in hospitality deeply shapes how we work, with care, intention, and close attention to detail. From how we collaborate internally to how we treat clients, I approach every project with the mindset of a host. Pairing attentiveness with the ingenuity and capability needed to honor their ideas and bring them fully to life. Mentorship and collaboration aren’t add-ons here; they’re the foundation of our ethos.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to do what you do?
Consistency is everything — show up for the craft even when no one is watching. Learn it intimately: materials, labor, the process, not just concepts. This hands-on knowledge can give you real creative freedom. Build your eye, build your taste, and build your resilience! Protect your point of view and surround yourself with collaborators who expand it rather than dilute it. Invest in people as much as projects. Jobs come and go, but integrity and generosity create longevity.
Never burn bridges, big or small.
Photography: Daniel Deladonne
