Mikael Sharaf was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia and enjoyed an upbringing teeming with creative people; family members from both sides were artists, musicians, writers, and actors. Perhaps inspired by his relation to five-time Academy Award winning costume design Irene Sharaff, Mikael pursued costume design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. While a student, Sharaf was an intern at Ali Rahimi’s Mon Atelier, and in 2006, Sharaf began his work at Silvia’s Costume, Inc. in Hollywood. Sharaf’s most famous costumes include working on the embroideries for Cher’s Las Vegas show costumes and designing for the feature films 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010) and Witness Insecurity (2011).

Growing up in a household that encouraged artistic expression allowed Sharaf to later become a successful costume designer and painter. Though his costumes are often on display in big-name shows, Sharaf rarely shows his paintings at galleries, so an opportunity to see his work is a rare treat.