Cinna Goldridge

"*I always channel my emotions into my work. That way, I don't hurt anyone but myself.*"
―Cinna**Cinna Goldridge** was Katniss Everdeen's stylist during her campaigns in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, who was later revealed to be a supporter of the rebels in District 13. Cinna played a major role in Katniss' rise to prominence in the rebel movement and with her political persona as the Mockingjay.

## Biography

### Early life

Before being a stylist for the Games, Cinna was the owner of a clothing store in the Capitol. As a newcomer, Katniss assumed he was assigned the worst district (District 12), but actually, he specifically asked to style District 12. Cinna first heard about the survival of District 13 through Pollux escaping the Capitol to go there. He was distantly associated with the rebels in Thirteen.

### 74th Hunger Games

The 74th Hunger Games was Cinna's first year as a stylist to the tributes. Cinna specifically asked for District 12 because he found the costumes they wore in previous years to be lackluster and weak and wanted to change that instead of getting more publicity. After the prep team prepared Katniss for the pre-game ceremonies, Cinna introduced himself to Katniss. Him and Portia, Peeta Mellark's stylist, prepared complimentary costumes for the Tribute Parade hoping to create an image of unity between Katniss and Peeta. He specifically encouraged the couple to hold hands to further strengthen the bond between the two in the public eye. His unusual and intricate designs during the tribute parade with creating "the girl on fire" theme for Katniss were a huge success with the crowd. When she confessed her fear of not impressing anyone during the interview process, Cinna suggested that she simply be herself and imagine that she was conversing with him during the interview as a way of staying relaxed.

During the interview with Caesar Flickerman, Cinna's fiery dress ensured Katniss was both unforgettable *and* irresistible. As Caesar asked Katniss about her choice to replace her sister as tribute, Cinna notably had a look of sadness on his face because of her sacrifice. He later celebrated with the District 12 tributes and their mentor Haymitch Abernathy over the successful interview.

Cinna would frequently eat lunch with Katniss as they talked about the upcoming Games and making an impression.

Once transported to the arena for the start of the Games, Cinna helped Katniss dress and attempted to comfort her. He told her that, although he wasn't allowed to place bets on tributes, if he could, he would bet on her. When the two were separated, Cinna motioned for her to hold her head high to project her courage.

After the joint win between Katniss and Peeta, Cinna prepared her for the final interviews of the post-game ceremonies. Upon Katniss's comment that her dress seemed too simple for the occasion, Cinna subtly hinted that the dress was designed to make her seem innocent and girlish so that the Capitol government's rage over her suicide threat would diminish. Following the interviews, he said goodbye to Katniss and Peeta as they journeyed back to District 12.

### 75th Hunger Games

Katniss kept contact with Cinna through a phone she had in her study. Since she was supposed to have a hobby, he covered for her and made everyone believe she was interested in dressmaking when he was actually doing all the work, something she was grateful to him for. He went with them on their Victory Tour and their first stop was to District 11. Cinna designed her dress for her speech to honor Thresh and Rue. He also gave Katniss a designed pair of gloves for Gale Hawthorne, who threw them back at her saying he didn't want anything made in the Capitol. Cinna designed all of Katniss' outfits for her Victory Tour and her wedding dresses (Peeta having proposed at the end of the Victory Tour).

When she and Peeta were also reaped for the 75th Hunger Games, he designed, along with Portia again, the Entrance Ceremony outfits: black unitards that glowed like embers from burning coal. However, he didn't get the chance to uniquely design her interview dress, as President Snow insisted she wore her wedding dress. When she first put it on, it was described as "heavy." He informed her he did something special with the dress and to spin during the interview. During the interview, her wedding dress transformed into the plumage of a mockingjay, implemented by Cinna. When she spinned around with her arms raised, she was surrounded by smoke. The symbolism of the Mockingjay, since her defiance in the previous Games, became a symbol of rebellion. After Katniss's transformation, the audience got Cinna to stand, and he was acknowledged with long applause. Katniss feaed for his safety knowing President Snow didn't not take it well. Cinna set Katniss up in her uniform for the third Quarter Quell.

### Death

"*I'm still betting on you, Girl on Fire.*"
―Cinna﻿Cinna was in the Launch Room with Katniss to say his farewells (as he was unsure if either Katniss or Peeta are going to survive), when three Peacekeepers dashed out and started beating Cinna with spiked gloves, hitting him first in the temple, knocking him to the floor. Katniss and Cinna were separated by a glass tube, so she was forced to watch, screaming his name as the guards dragged a bleeding, unconscious Cinna away. Cinna died just two days later during interrogation for information on the rebels.

### Legacy

Despite Cinna's death, his designs remained crucial to the rebellion. Likely knowing his death was unavoidable with the incoming war, Cinna had already designed her mockingjay uniform, secretly designing it in the few weeks before the start of the 75th Hunger Games, and gave it to Plutarch Heavensbee. The Mockingjay uniform was concealed as Katniss's wedding dress requested by President Snow, which transformed after becoming ignited when Katniss began twirling on stage.

His final message to Katniss was written under a sketch of her Mocking pin in the sketchbook containing his designs for the Mockingjay uniform, reading: "I'm still betting on you." The realization that Cinna was actually a rebel the whole time and that he wanted for her to be the Mockingjay gave Katniss an additional edge to support the rebellion. This knowledge was kept from Katniss at Cinna's request until she agreed to be the Mockingjay as he wanted her to autonomously make her decision. Cinna also helped with the efforts to kidnap Katniss' prep team, saving their lives as all the stylists and prep teams were killed, so that they could continue their work with Katniss as she felt comfortable with them. Cinna was shown to have thought of everything in her Mockingjay dress, including an easily accessible hiding place for a suicide pill in case she was captured. When trying to use this to escape what she believes will be torture and execution after assassinating President Coin, Katniss called it "Cinna's final gift" and was distressed when Peeta prevented her from using it.

## Designs

Cinna's outfits were mainly focused on Katniss and what suited her best. Most of his designs learned towards utilitarianism, but had an underlying elegance, and sometimes incorporated technological twists for dramatic effect. Cinna wanted Katniss to look outstanding in all of the outfits, and many of his designs were made to play up her image as "the girl on fire".

### 74th Hunger Games

#### First "Girl on Fire" Outfit

Katniss' parade outfit for the 74th Hunger Games consisted of a simple black unitard, leather boots that laced up to the knees, and a cape made of red, orange, and yellow streamers. The cape, along with a matching headpiece, was lit with artificial but highly realistic flames that streamed behind Katniss as she rode in the chariot. This outfit first established Katniss' reputation as the "girl on fire".

#### Training Clothes

Katniss and Peeta wore identical outfits in the Training Center gymnasium designed by Cinna and Portia. The outfits consisted of long-sleeved burgundy tunics, tight black pants, and leather shoes.

#### Interview Dress

For Katniss's interview with Caesar Flickerman, Cinna designed a dress completely covered with jewels. The inside of the dress was silken, and red, yellow, white, and blue gems decorated the outside in a flame design. Katniss estimated that the dress weighed forty pounds, and when she twirled, she looked like she was engulfed in pure flames.

#### Ending Ceremony Dress

For her interview after the Games, Katniss wore a soft, yellow dress that fell to her knees and had no sleeves. It was flimsy, gathered at her ribs, and included padding over her breasts to disguise the weight she had lost in the arena. Katniss considered this dress to be "a very calculated look", and Cinna's intentions soon became clear: In the eyes of the Capitol and following their own constructed narrative, Katniss and Peeta were so head-over-heels in love with each other that they were willing to sacrifice themselves and be together in death, rather than one of them emerging as victor and being alone. This story became incredibly popular among the Capitol citizens and was officially given as the reason why the two tributes acted in such blatant defiance against the government. To reinforce this narrative and to appease potentially angry officials, Cinna tried to make Katniss look as innocent and girlish as possible; however, in keeping with Katniss' image as the "girl on fire", the fabric of the dress had a soft, rippling glow that made it appear as though she were wearing candlelight.

### Victory Tour

Cinna remained Katniss' personal stylist for her Victory Tour, which took place about 6 months after the Games. For the tour, he designed a myriad of dresses and other clothing for her to wear as the tour passed through each district. Effie tells Katniss that "Cinna was working on your garment car. He must have over a hundred outfits for you... evening clothes are exquisite." In addition, due to Katniss' inability to find a "talent," Cinna helped her pretend to be interested in fashion and designed a series of outfits for Katniss to publicly claim were hers. During this time, Katniss came to regard him as a close friend.

For the first day of the Victory Tour - and the live broadcast where Katniss shows the clothes that she "designed" - Cinna created an outfit that Katniss described as, "Flowing black pants made of thick, warm material. A comfortable white shirt. A sweater woven from green and blue and gray strands of kitten-soft wool. Laced leather boots that don't pinch my toes." For the cold, Cinna added a coat made of white ermine fur, leather gloves, a bright red scarf, and a pair of earmuffs.

In District 11, where the weather was considerably warmer than in 12, Katniss wore "a pretty orange frock patterned with autumn leaves" when speaking in front of the Justice Building. Cinna also designed dresses for Katniss to wear to banquets and balls following her public appearances, and Cinna gave up on Katniss looking girlish and innocent. The dress for District 11 was pale pink, strapless, and paired with a silver shoulder wrap. While in District 5, she wore a dress made of green silk, which she later gave to Annie Cresta to use as her wedding dress. In District 2, she wore what Johanna Mason called a "strapless number", made of dark blue velvet and decorated with diamonds. Throughout the books, Cinna kept Katniss's hair in its "customary" braid to keep her recognizable.

### Wedding Dresses

After Katniss accepted Peeta's proposal during the Victory Tour stop in the Capitol, Cinna designed a set of wedding dresses. Initially, two dozen dresses were created, and by the time Katniss' modeling shoot arrived, they had been narrowed down to six. However, most of the dresses were not described in great detail, and some not at all, except through several strings of words:

* "Creamy lace and pink roses and ringlets."
* "Ivory satin and gold tattoos and greenery."
* "A sheath of diamonds and jeweled veil and moonlight."
* "Heavy white silk and sleeves that fall from my wrist to the floor, and pearls."

After the modeling shoot, the Capitol audience voted to select the one that would be used for the wedding; the favorite was the white silk gown with hanging sleeves and pearls.

### 75th Hunger Games

#### Parade Outfit

This outfit consisted of a fitted black jumpsuit, paired with a crown made of heavy black metal. When a button inside the sleeve was pressed, the suit would light up and give the appearance of being coated in glowing embers. At the same time, the crown would glow red-hot and highlight the wearer's face.

#### Final Wedding Dress

Katniss's wedding dress was made of heavy white silk, with long hanging sleeves and embroidered with pearls. After she was reaped into the 75th Hunger Games - where the rules were altered to ensure her participation - President Snow attempted to dominate Katniss even further by ordering that she wore this dress for her interview with Caesar Flickerman (symbolically turning her wedding dress into a burial shroud). Unbeknownst to anyone, Cinna secretly altered the dress so that when Katniss twirled and lifted her arms, the dress burst into flames. When the flames cleared, the dress was made of black feathers with white patches on the sleeves, the exact same coloring as a mockingjay. This symbolized that the rebellion was still alive and confident, but sadly this brave and rebellious act caused Cinna's death.

### Mockingjay Uniform

The final outfit that Cinna designed was Katniss' mockingjay uniform, which she wore throughout the Second Rebellion. When she officially agreed to help the rebel efforts, Katniss was handed a sketchbook containing Cinna's drawings of the uniform, and she recognizes his style at once. Aside from a protective breastplate, the outfit incorporated carefully tailored layers of body armor, hidden weapons in the boots and belt, and special reinforcements over the heart. For extra protection, the uniform included a helmet made of interwoven mesh that could be pulled back like a hood. In keeping with Katniss' role as "the Mockingjay" (a living symbol of defiance against the Capitol), the uniform was black in color, except for white patches on the underside of the sleeves, mimicking the pattern on actual Mockingjay's wings. On the final page of the sketchbook, under a drawing of Katniss' mockingjay pin, Cinna wrote, "I'm still betting on you." Cinna thought of almost everything possible when he created the uniform, like a pocket by her collarbone to hold a nightlock pill that was strategically placed so Katniss could bite the pill-free if she was handcuffed.

## Relationships

* Katniss Everdeen (friend, tribute)
* Plutarch Heavensbee (co-conspirator)
* Portia (co-stylist)

## Personality

"*I asked for District 12.*"
―Cinna, to KatnissCinna was intelligent and crafty, able to create noteworthy imagery around his tributes so that they would be noticed. He maintained strong control over his emotions so that his subtle acts of defiance towards the Capitol would not be too obvious and would not hurt anyone but himself. He personally told Katniss that he channeled his emotions through his work. He did, however, show care for Katniss and a deep desire to oppose the Capitol through his knowledge of fashion. Much like Plutarch Heavensbee, he was so good at hiding his true allegiance that no one, not even Katniss, knew that Cinna was in fact a rebel and not just subtly rebellious.

Cinna was described as being a "brilliant, enigmatic, lovely" person who took pride in his work. He was also a very caring person. Despite being Capitol raised, he said he was sorry that Katniss became a tribute to her, unlike most, who just congratulated her. He attempted to calm Katniss down right before the 74th Hunger Games by holding her hand and saying if he was allowed to bet, he would bet on her. He was something of a father figure for her, as well as a friend.

## Physical description

"*I'm taken aback by how normal he looks.*"
―KatnissCinna's appearance and comportment were very different from his contemporaries: most people who lived in the Capitol follow highly outlandish fashion trends, wore heavy makeup, and tend to have at least some of their physical features surgically altered. By contrast, Cinna dressed in simple clothing and wore very minimal makeup. Also, though he spoke with the distinctive Capitol accent, it was noticeably less pronounced than many other citizens. Cinna wore a simple black shirt with matching pants. Wearing gold eyeliner was his unique and bizarre fashion choice, exposing gold flecks in his green eyes, an attractive look for Katniss. Besides that, Cinna looked very normal, with short dark brown hair and green eyes. He had a clean, very short mustache and beard He had dark skin and six gold earrings, four in the left ear, and two in the right.

1. ↑ *Mockingjay*, Chapter 3