Meet Maripo$a | Musician & Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maripo$a and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maripo$a, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks in life is a blessing. I always say if something feels uncomfortable then you’re doing it right because ultimately it’s going to help you grow as a person. For me in particular, I came from a some-what struggling to make ends meet family in Florida, and moving to California seemed so far out of my reach. When I turned 18, I knew I wanted to pursue music & fashion but there wasn’t much opportunity in my town. It was tough for me to leave my family and move to a city all alone, but if I didn’t take that risk I wouldn’t be where I am today. Chasing my dreams to the fullest in Los Angeles, making music and styling people that enjoy my work made that risk worth it. So if there’s something you want to do, just do it! Taking the risks to fulfill my dreams is how I’ve been living my life for the last few years.

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.

Ever since I was a little kid, I was always attracted to words, clothes, colors and music. With writing poems, came writing song lyrics, which led to making my own music, all while my fashion sense was evolving. I craved a way to combine it all, and I’ve come to realize music and fashion really go hand in hand. I style myself for every cover-art, show, or any social appearances. My styling started getting more recognition when I first moved to LA and became the head stylist at two amazing stores. This influenced me to open my own creative studio where I now style and photograph other artists and creatives full time which has allowed me to really level up quickly. Only a year ago I was styling friends for free and now I’m working on campaigns for major brands and artists. It’s an especially high honor for me to be able to work with artists in the music industry because we share that common passion, but in the end making sure my clients feel good about themselves is the ultimate pay off. When it comes to my styling, I’m inspired by the 2000’s, japanese fashion, vintage designer and streetwear. Combining the worlds of vintage pearls, gloves, chains, Y2k, with modern day street wear helped me create a unique style that I incorporate into all of my looks.

Music – It’s been a journey, but I taught myself how to use the music program logic, which allows me to be fully independent in my writing/recording process. I make music in my home studio which has taken a year of saving up to get the equipment necessary to really take it seriously. My process is very intimate, I write a lot of poems and the majority of my writing is my emotional release on different subjects. It’s therapeutic everytime I release a new song, and it’s so fulfilling when others are able to relate to it. It took me a few years to find my sound, I was releasing music under a different name a fews years back just for fun and practice. I finally combined my love for bedroom pop, alternative indie rock, and pop to create the overall sound I’m comfortable with and went for it. Each song I make I have certain colors in mind which makes the execution process of promoting it alot easier on me in a fashion sense. I then take the final product, envision a set and outfit for it and use that for cover arts / music videos and all promotional assets.

I want to be known for my power and my drive. If you have multiple interests don’t be scared to do it all. Don’t let anyone or anything get in the way of that. If you’ve had life struggles or any trauma, let that fuel your energy to put it into the things you love, opposed to letting it weigh down on you. Life is about balance, and that’s up to you to make the ride as smooth as you can while doing what you love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I would take them to my personal favorite spots which includes; the Melrose Trading Post (where I get a lot of my vintage clothing). There’s so many good stories with every piece you find, it’s also a great place to network and meet people with similar interests.

-Venice beach, the first beach I went to when I moved to the city, the hustle there is so inspiring, you’ll see artists, singers, dancers, etc chasing their dreams and that energy is infectious, and of course the beach in general is just beautiful.

-Melrose and Fairfax is a fashion mecca, and where I got my first two jobs as a head stylist, (Joyrich and then at Dolls kill) so venturing into that part of the city is nostalgic and always calls for a good time. There’s no shortage of food, great shopping, and inspiring fashion.

-I have a lookout I go to called Bronson Canyon, its gorgeous outlook over the city and a straight view to the Hollywood sign, it feels like it’s 100 feet away. It’s so peaceful up in the mountains and will make you feel like you’re nowhere near the city, which sometimes we all need.

-As cliche as this sounds, In n Out would be my go to spot to take someone for food. Surprisingly, it was actually the first burger I’d ever eaten, and it’s delicious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, My producer who I’ve been working with since my first song, Aston Marton. He lives in Florida and works with me remotely to make sure every project is up to my liking. I wouldn’t have been able to release any of my songs if it wasn’t for him and his engineering abilities. I’d like to thank my fans, who resonate with my music.  They’ve given my music more purpose, because I know that people are also feeling things I write about makes me feel less alone, and it’s nice to have them there so that it can lift them up the way it does for me.

Additionally, to the people that have believed in me along the way, you’ve helped me grow, which has only elevated my music and styling career. My family, my friends, my clients deserve praise because I wouldn’t have been able to do it without their support and trust in my art.

Website: https://linktr.ee/mariposabih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariposabih/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChG772RyrY336Pi6ZUupY2A

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1KWCXwk1vdjdhKdJvLKylC?si=Qn2q6tEjQIyGO7XCk-_SVw&nd=1