Meet Erica Mer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Mer.

Erica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins as a child actress, with a career beginning in the entertainment industry at the age of six in New York City. My first job was on an ABC network soap opera, which taught me so much about the industry. I spent a significant amount of time on set, it eventually became a second home. At the age of 9, I moved across the country with my Mom to Los Angeles, well Studio City to be more specific. Valley girl at the core.

At the age of 17, I decided acting was no longer for me. Having been on the sets of commercials, television shows, short films, and so on, I got tired of being in front of the camera. I felt the industry was more about your contacts and the way you looked, rather than putting in hard work! Or perhaps it was always that way and I was too young to realize. Regardless, I had enough and wanted to be a normal LA teenager!

Still in the industry, at 18, I landed jobs in the production department, working at multiple big name production offices. Then, all of a sudden, I found fashion, well the wardrobe department to be more specific. You could not have paid me a thousand dollars, hey even a hundred dollars to believe my career would bring me here, but I couldn’t be more happy.

In the beginning, I interned on big time editorials (Vogue, Vanity Fair) and then transitioned into commercials. I assisted so much that I earned a position into the Costumer’s Union 705. Most stylists understand how big of an accomplishment this is, also the difficulty it entails to join. In the beginning, I took every single job offered, some days were 6 hours, others 21. I wanted to grasp every opportunity, work with every stylist and learn learn learn!

Around two years ago, I successfully transitioned into the key (head stylist), which is a dream come true.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth, not so much, but from this, it’s profoundly shaped the journey! I vocalize to my assistants/interns, (even when they don’t ask), how much patience and hard work goes into styling. It’s not just dress up! If I know anything, it’s that this is not an overnight process, and remaining patient is biggest challenge. Having been in the industry since the age of six, I definitely know that it takes time. But the ones who remain focused and driven, will see the results!

Freelance is extremely challenging, and even though I have successfully done it for seven years, there are many days I long for consistency.

The personal drive I obtain comes from working my butt off, remaining professional and positive, and most important never being handed anything.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a wardrobe stylist slowly transitioning into the role of a fashion director. True, I love focusing my attention on the clothing, but I have always seen the overall picture. Including hair, makeup, location, etc. This has become easy due to my previous acting days!

I believe every one is unique and there’s no such thing as an ideal body type. As a woman who’s weight fluctuates and felt unhappy with the way clothing looks, I get it! These personal challenges help in my line work! I love seeing new found confidence from something I did! There’s nothing more fulfilling and gratifying. Clothing is more impactful than people want to believe and I love opening their eyes to this!

Best known for…layering layering layering. The more, the merrier I believe!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Every person that has entered my life deserves recognition. Even if it was for a minute. Yes the usual suspects, Mom, Dad, best friends, even the production coordinator who calls me for gigs, I am grateful to every single person.

I’m going to flip the switch on this one though. The negative experiences deserve to be discussed, weird, I know! If I’ve learned anything from my career, it is this, have thick skin! Try to not take anything personal, it’s difficult I’m aware of this, because no-one should ever make you feel less then. I’m fortunate to have worked for that awful stylist and work on set for 22 hours. These experiences brought me to where I am and shaped me positively. Those moments are the exact reason I treat every person with respect and kindness. Yes of course, I learned such traits from my Mom, and my Dad instilled the meaning of hard work/knowledge. If that one stylist, never treated me like sh** or told me the industry wasn’t for me, or if that one director never made me cry, who knows what I’d do.

To me, it doesn’t matter whether you are the director or the director’s driver, we are human beings with feelings and should be treated as such! We are here to get a job done, so let’s enjoy the process, treat each other kindly and realize we’re fortunate to be in such a creative industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ericamer.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: ericas_style

Image Credit:
Janelle Ginestra x Lee Gumbs; Cory Roberts x Dylan Perlot x Latest Magazine; Maddie Ziegler x Lee Gumbs; Jason Hancock x Lee Gumbs; Bryana Holly x Tristan Kallas x For the Furry Advertising; Jeana Turner x Dylan Perlot x Nude Magazine; Courtney Paige Nelson x Dmitry Krikun x This Bitch Magazine; Audrey Lane-Partlow x Lee Gumbs

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