Meet Erick Mercer | Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erick Mercer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erick, what do you attribute your success to?
I would say that the most important factor of my success has been my ability to show people what they don’t realize they want yet. I adore pulling clients from their comfort zones and having them try something they never dared to before. More often than not, they love it (whatever IT may be, from styling their hair a certain way, to adopting a certain cut of clothing). People go into clothes shopping with too many preconceived notions of what works for them and while it is important to know what flatters you, it is absolutely vital that you do not let it confine you. I’ve been successful because I not only eliminate this problem, but I open a world of opportunities. I would also attribute a great deal of my success to begging the question of what have you got to lose? I started wearing silk scarves in 2019 because frankly there are some days that I didn’t feel like doing my hair. it was a bit unnerving getting out of my comfort zone at first, as at the time they weren’t nearly a popular and I was a man trying a “womenswear” trend. At the end of the day however I asked myself, what have I got to lose? Sure people may stare but that’s hardly a good enough reason to diminish creativity. Few things bring me as much joy as seeing a client love how they look after trying a style or trend that they previously thought impermissible or impossible for them to pull off.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have fought tooth and nail for everything I have today. It’s been especially interesting with the past few turbulent years. There have been moments of self doubt but ultimately I have been out for the pursuit of pleasure and what makes me happy. I also have taken advantage of opportunities that have presented themselves to me. It has also served me well that I know my place, in that I am not too good for any opportunity or person. Building off of this, I am also not trying to compete with anyone else. I’ve just kept doing my own thing and trusting my intuition, as it has proved me right, again and again. People have a great deal of respect for my stylistic opinions because they see I have good taste, but they also see that I don’t give them faulty advice. Building that loyalty has created and preserved a reputation that I am grateful for. I’d love the world to know that I’m here to get people to question everything they know about what “Style” is and to get them to pursue what makes them happy. It has been nice to androgyny become adopted more and more, as I find it liberating (even if I think we still think we have a ways to go with what we allow men to wear). Ultimately who gives a damn on who a product is marketed towards, if it makes you happy and its not hurting anyone, have at it! Life is too short to surround yourself with things that merely fill the void.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I call Los Angeles home so Rodeo Drive is a must. It sounds cliche as a stylist but I love having friends try on a piece or two in the stores there. SO often they think that the high end price point means they’re not good enough to try it on and I thoroughly enjoy dismantling that notion. I also love the Getty Museums. The Villa transports you to Ancient Rome and the architecture is to die for. The same is the case at the second museum which is just stunning, but in a modern setting. There is a fantastic restaurant on the beach called Playa Provisions and it has some of the most incredible food I’ve ever had. It has a feel of going over to your friends home for dinner. I would also recommend Le Pain Quotidian in Studio City, which is my favorite breakfast place. To me that’s what comfort food is and should be. It’s cozy, artisan and I can’t live without it. Gotetsu is my favorite Japanese restaurant and it is located in Ventura. A family friend owns it and it is Japanese comfort food at its finest! the quality and flavors are superb and it is a must visit. The Way We Wore is a fabulous vintage store with some of the greatest curated pieces I have ever seen. The owner Doris Raymond is an absolute gem and has one of if not the best vintage clothing store in Los Angeles. The pieces range from 1910’s through now, but she focuses on interesting pieces with character. Honestly I would probably host dinner most nights. I love dressing up to cook a nice meal and breaking out the good china, just because. one night I would probably cook Chicken Cordon Bleu with rosemary and have tiramisu for dessert. The rest of the stay would depend on my friends interests and whether they’ve been to LA before. Then the activities might range from a beach day to the La Brea tarpits.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The C&L Experience

Instagram: styled.by.rhoades

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erick-mercer-187a25167/