Check Out Marissa Merchant’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Merchant.

Hi Marissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
From a very young age I was fascinated by fashion. My parents told me I only wore dresses until kindergarten, and I saved up and purchased my first pair of designer shoes at age 12. I was always coming up with unique and creative outfits through adolescence. My love for fashion continued on and led to me pursuing a degree in fashion merchandising and retail marketing at Johnson and Wales University. Shortly after graduating I got an internship at Nordstrom as a visual merchandiser, where I discovered that I loved the production/display piece of fashion and design and not just the styling. My internship led to a full-time position which I held for about four years. But ultimately I felt like I wanted to be out on my own where I could make, and help others with styling and design decisions. I had been doing wardrobe and production styling on the side already, so it was pretty easy to make the decision to go out on my own.

At this time, I also started assisting my mom with her interior design business, Creative Visions, and quickly fell in love! Come to find out, interior design and fashion merchandising have a lot in common. I think growing up I tried to be something different than my mom, but I think I was born to be in design, both fashion and interior! I currently work full time with Creative Visions while I continue to do wardrobe and production styling as a side gig! I love both, and I think both careers go hand in hand!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and honestly I am still learning so much today. At Nordstrom I had worked my way up and knew it like the back of my hand and honestly pretty quickly, but now, even five years into Interior Design and Wardrobe Styling, I learn something new almost daily. A lot of people don’t understand all the things that happen behind the scenes, it’s not just putting pretty colors and pieces together, there are many details and specifications that go into each project. But I truly love that challenge, and I am good at it. It’s been hard freelancing and being self-employed. Not having a guaranteed paycheck can certainly weigh you down. I have also found it very hard to navigate and keep up with social media. I am also now a mom to a toddler with another on the way, so finding a mom-work life balance has been hard. I have to add, however, that I think the tough times and the challenges I have faced and overcome, all of that has made me better at what I do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently as a wardrobe stylist I specialize in fashion and brand photography! I am most proud of the work I have done for Kate Maller Jewelry in Denver. I have worked as her wardrobe and production stylist for all of her recent jewelry lines. It was extremely hard work but also incredibly rewarding. I think what sets me apart from others in this field is my flexibility and ability to do more than just style, but also help with producing, production design and art direction. I love coming up with a vision for my clients and then helping them bring it to life and execute all parts of a project! The same goes for Interior Design, and bringing a vision to life. I am most proud of the work we are currently doing for a new airport in McKinney Texas. It has been a very long project and we are very excited to install and see all of our hard work come to life this coming summer.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think my work ethic and attention to detail has played a huge part in my success! Production and interior design are challenging enough, but the details required for a project to be successful is tremendous. I am very thorough and have gotten really good at making sure everything is perfect both before and during a project, whether that be Interior Design or Wardrobe and Production Styling. This helps my projects go as smoothly as possible. I also have a talent for helping my clients create an overall vision and/or art direction, which can take a project to the next level.

Contact Info:

• Email: Styling | hello@marissamerchant.com
  Interior Design | marissa@creativevisions.co
• Website: Styling | marissamerchant.com
  Interior Design | creativevisions.co
• Instagram:@marissanikolestyle

Image Credits
Trevr Merchant | Torch Emmy Gaines | Celebrate Again Kate Maller Jewelry