After losing her home in the Eaton Fire, filmmaker Chloe Ray navigated a profound reset—one that reshaped her relationship to beauty, identity, and the work she creates. That transformation now lives at the heart of Two Other Trees, the production company she’s building to tell grounded, emotionally resonant stories that reflect the communities she came from and the woman she’s becoming. In our conversation with Chloe, she opens up about rediscovering beauty rituals, reframing “home,” and channeling loss into a creative force that now fuels her next chapter.
- When you lost your home in the Eaton Fire, so much of what makes up daily life disappeared overnight. How did that experience affect the way you saw yourself and your sense of identity?
With so many years of work, art, collected clothing, and photographs gone, It was hard not to feel like my identity had been erased. I struggled for months to purchase anything, something that used to feel so simple and fun. I would look through racks of clothing feeling guilty, and the second I bought anything at all, it didn’t feel like mine – causing instant regret. To this day, I often feel like I’m on vacation or playing dress up, and will eventually return home to my normal life and all the clothes that held my identity. Nonetheless, I try everyday to view the process as freeing, and take the opportunity to reinvent my style, eventually wearing-in new memories.
- In times of grief or upheaval, even small beauty rituals can feel grounding. What was the first beauty routine you found yourself returning to as life started to settle again?
For me, putting on makeup is extremely grounding, and without access to it following the fire, I felt suspended in that mindset. It wasn’t until I finally put on makeup again that I was able to feel like my pre-fire self. Cleaning off a bit of that experience externally, helped ground me internally and furthered my understanding of how inherently intertwined beauty and identity are.
- Rebuilding often means deciding what truly matters. When it came to skincare, makeup, or haircare, what did you choose to replace first—and what guided those choices?
For the first time in my life, I really prioritized clean and healthy products. Before the fire, I was never one to purchase expensive lotion, skincare, or hair care, but there was this new desire to protect my body, because at the end of it all, it was all I had left. For the first time, I justified getting myself La Roche Posay lotion, Laneige lip care, and Ouai haircare – things I had always wanted but could never bring myself to buy. There was definitely a shift in my beauty priorities that began to emerge, and I started to prioritize longevity through my choices of beauty products.
- How has your relationship to beauty evolved through this chapter—has it become softer, bolder, or more intentional?
Certainly more intentional and much bolder. I lost this sense of permanence, and had so much regret for the beauty products that didn’t get their chance to shine. I’ve learned to move quicker and riskier because if you want to make a moment happen you have to do it now and step into that confidence. You can’t let life get in the way of your plans.
- Many women feel pressure to always appear “put together.” What did this experience teach you about beauty as care and nourishment, rather than performance?
Beauty care is prioritizing you and taking care of your one and only body. Looking put together for the outside world means nothing if you don’t know you are honoring your body and loving the image you project to the world.
- During post-production of Noble Homes, you also had to rebuild a significant part of the edit because of the fires. How did returning to the project influence your creative confidence and emotional connection to the story?
Noble Homes was completed before the Eaton Fire, so fortunately, we did not need to start from scratch. With several of our other projects, we were not so lucky. Regardless, my relationship with the community was significantly different after the fires. There was nothing like seeing the incredible community of Altadena rally together to help their friends and neighbors. So when reassembling Noble Homes for festivals, newfound community values definitely guided the process. I wanted to ensure that each community member on the show was featured as an equal ensemble member that makes up their unique corner of the world.
- Noble Homes explores the idea of what “home” means across generations. How did your own lived experience and perspective deepen your understanding of that theme as you were completing the pilot?
I work over 12 hours every day, doing what I love, and what I’ve always dreamed of doing, but I still, and likely never will, be able to afford a home in the city I work and live in. Basically all of my friends are in the same boat. We were promised that if we worked hard, and took out hefty college loans, we would be able to get a job and have a family. I worry every day that being able to support someone else will also never be possible. We are in a housing crisis that is affecting almost our entire population, which is why it is the perfect topic to bring people together on. With Noble Homes, I really wanted to showcase that everyone deserves this basic human right.
- Creativity can act as both expression and restoration. Did the process of shaping Noble Homes offer any sense of grounding or personal alignment for you? If so, in what ways?
Noble Homes was definitely a grounding experience, unlike any of the other projects I have made. This show was made in honor of my late grandmother, and I wanted to feel proud of what we were putting out. With honoring her legacy at stake, I definitely felt the pressure. But through making something for her, I found a calm amongst the noise when reminded of her sense of humor or a joke she would love. She really was with me throughout the entire process, which grounded me in a way I’ve never experienced through filmmaking.
- Looking ahead with Bugs and Creepy AF, how are you carrying the beauty rituals and sense of groundedness you rebuilt into this next phase of your work?
I think it’s really easy in Post-Production to not feel the need to prioritize beauty, as most of my days are spent behind the computer, but there’s something about engaging in beauty rituals prior to approaching the timeline that brings a motivation for the work. It helps me see that I am showing up for myself in all the ways I can.
- Where can we keep up with everything Noble Homes and Chloe Ray?
I am currently building my independent production company Two Other Trees which you can check out at twoothertrees.com and we post regular updates on IG @twoothertrees. You can also follow my personal journey @chloeraywarmoth !
Photo Credit:
Photographer: Cathryn Farnsworth (https://www.cathrynfarnsworth.com/)
HMU: Cherie Combs (https://www.cheriecombs.com/)
Nails: Julie Ta Melody Nails Chloe
