Mery Racauchi: Songstress and Seamstress
Returning readers may notice there’s been a huge change around here, both in design and function. You have Mery Racauchi to thank for that, but that’s something I’ll get into in another place and time.
Today I want to introduce to you all, someone who has only been in the United States for three years, but has already made her mark in both the fashion and music industries. She’s come a long way from her days as a teenager, designing and selling her clothing through Facebook. Before that, she had taken guitar lessons at eight years old, eventually singing in her high school band. Her piano and singing lessons would pay off on a big way, making her a rising superstar.
To know Mery is to witness a woman determined to be a success, an individual who has masterfully mapped out the direction she has followed from then til now.
I met Mery and her boyfriend (and CEO) Ringo at The 9 Studios in Manhattan. Our interview was facilitated by music manager and photographer Stephen Mihalchik, who I have to profusely thank for making this happen.
Did your inspiration for fashion come from home, or was it something you saw in a magazine that sparked your desire?
It came from my mom. She likes fashion. When I was young, she was always buying clothes for herself and for me. We would travel a lot, and we would go to fancy stores. She would show me everything! So, from very, very young, I loved fashion.
In Argentina, can one find the same fashion brands one would find here in America? What is fashion like in your country?
Most of international designers are not in Argentina. There are few, but mostly not. It’s very different, and I think people in Argentina are more “safe” with the designs and outfits they choose to wear. Here [in New York], people are like crazy, they wear anything. So, I think here it’s super interesting. If you love fashion, it’s the right place.
So you’re saying that Argentina is conservative, in regards to fashion.
Oh, yeah, for sure! It’s a lot more conservative there. You have some designers in Argentina who are amazing; but, most of the designers that do different things who are not conservative, they are probably outside the country now.
In addition to doing your own fashion shows (which I’ll get to in a few minutes), you attend other New York Fashion Week events as well. How many did you attend this year?
A lot! I used to go to more, but now I’m just choosing the ones that are only my favorites. Because I have to organize my own fashion show, I don’t have much time to go to other shows. I’m more into making my show amazing than going to see other shows. I love the other designers, but it’s hard to have time to do everything here. I love the shows...I love the parties...and I just choose the top five.
Being a designer yourself, do you ever have moments when you’re looking at the work of other designer’s and thinking about what you would do differently?
Yeah. Sometimes. I don’t know. Maybe like, “I wouldn’t have hired these models...,” or “I’d totally put this model on the runway…” Or, I’d be like, “I would make it longer…”, “I would make it shorter…”...I don’t know. That was more when I first moved here. Now, I’m more... I don’t judge to them that much.
This year was your second fashion show, but unlike the previous one, you performed this time. What was the audience reaction to your performance, and to the fashion show itself?
Oh, they loved it! Yeah, it was great!
Let’s talk about how the whole thing came together, starting with who chooses the models for the show? Do you do it yourself, or are there others who are part of the process?
I choose the models.
Did you also select the music for the runway?
No, Ringo [Merea, CEO of Mery Playa].
How about the choreography? Who was the magnificent mastermind behind your dancers? Those were no amateur dancers, that was a polished performance I witnessed.
The choreographer was Mark Nunez. He dances with Rihanna, and he’s great!
The dancers? My friend Juan Loretto from Broadway Dance Center introduced me to the other dancers.
This New York Fashion Week having been my first, I noticed that all fashion shows are not alike. Some were presentations shown to a select few, others were runway, and there were those like yours that were runway, but were upbeat rather than solemn. Is it the designer who chooses how their wares are presented to the public, and why did you decide to run with doing an upbeat fashion event?
Yeah, it comes from the designer.
Some people think if the models look serious and they don’t move too much, you see better the clothes. They might be right, but we just like happy vibes and stuff, so we thought there should be smiling and cheering up everybody. I’ve been to a bunch of shows and most of the time, it’s boring.
Even fun brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and other brands. They don’t make models smile too much; and people love those shows. It’s like a high fashion thing to think people are cold. But, that’s a very fashion thing, though.
Do you plan to do another show for February?
Yeah. But, I don’t think I’m gonna do it for Playa, I’m gonna do it for Mery by Mery. I think I’m going to do a snow jacket collaboration. I want to do it with a rapper. I’m just trying to see who can do it. I’m probably presenting at the Sun Dance Festival in Utah soon.
What rapper do you have in mind, who you would like to collaborate with?
I love Trippie Redd and I want to do it with him. But, he might be a better option for next year. Of course, right now it’s too soon, and I don’t know if we are going to be able to contact him and his team. But, I think that would be fun.
I went on your site earlier, so I’m looking at the different designs. You have bathing suits there, you have shoes... am I leaving anything out?
I have shoes, I have bags, and I do jackets. I do everything.
What did you start with first? Were the bathing suits first?
In America? No, I started with the shoes. But, the first thing I did in my life were hoodies. I love hoodies, and I love jackets. If you see my closet, it’s like 90% jackets.
What do you like more? Because you also have impeccable taste in shoes. I love your taste in footwear.
I love shoes. I love shoes.
So...shoes or hoodies? Or, shoes with hoodies?
Yeah. Hoodies and shoes. Jackets and shoes.
(Laughter) That’s a great combination.
I don’t have many pants.
You’ve been in New York for three years, how do you feel about the winter here?
I don’t like the January kind of cold, but I don’t like July kind of hot. So, I prefer winter, a little bit. To be honest, for me the perfect weather would be hoodie weather. I don’t like to sweat around me. I don’t like tank tops, I don’t like shorts. I just like more clothes.
Right. My opinion has always been that you can actually be more stylish when the weather gets cooler. You can wear more things. In the summertime, it’s like you have shorts, t-shirts, and that’s it.
Yeah. I don’t like it. I don’t like summer clothes, except bikinis.
When you’re designing shoes, where do your ideas come from? You have phenomenal designs.
Most of my ideas come from food.
What? Really?
Food, Barbies, and retro toys. For example, food like macaroons, cotton candy, funny gummy...uhm...milk shakes. That’s what I think when I design. I love doing hardware that is kind of pink....or Rubbermaid, paint...or, plastic. Because I like retro toys. I like the kind of Gameboy color, and Gameboy in general. They have such nice outsides, and I love them. Barbie because they are pink and cute. That’s what I like.
When I first met you, you were wearing something very bright and colorful, lots of pink.
Those jackets are so Barbie. I love Barbie, love the style in general. I love the clothes that they design for Barbie. I would love to do a collection of clothes for Barbie. That would be so good.
I love the way you use color for the various products. Normally when it comes to the fall and winter, designers make outfits that are (in my opinion) drab. There’s a lot of grey, black, and just dark colors in general. Fashion doesn’t brighten up until spring and summer.
I like colors for winter. I think it’s amazing. I have a lot of winter jackets that are normally like camouflage and pink and white. I love fake furs too. I’m gonna do crazy colors for jackets come winter!
Now I mentioned this to Ringo earlier: It seems to me that it would be difficult to come up with a unique design for a bikini, simply because you’re dealing with limited amount of real estate, so to speak. There are only two small pieces of fabric. From an outsiders perspective, it seems that the task of making something that would stand out from other designers is virtually impossible. But you’ve done it.
I think I’m all about details. I have so many ideas that I’ll never finish making them all. I don’t think it’s difficult because it’s small. I thinks it’s even easier.
I noticed that your bags aren’t made of leather. Or are they?
Fake leather. I love every fabric; I love corduroy, denim, plastic, acrylic... and I love lacquer.
So you don’t use leather at all?
I used to. I’m not doing it at the moment.
Is it because it’s difficult working with leather?
No. It’s because I just don’t want to hurt animals. I don’t think it’s necessary to use leather. There’s so many other things that look exactly the same...I don’t find the need.
NYFW LIVE PERFORMANCE + MERY PLAYA fashion show Video by: Steve Mihalchik @sjmphotonyc Artist: Mery Racauchi @meryracauchi Drums: Ringo Merea @ringomerea Guitar: Nicky Boi Castilho @nickyboicastilho Dancers: Loreto Delgado @loretsdthree , Cory J. Ethridge @cjethridge91 , Michaela Holland @michaelaholland_, Harumi Elders @hadume Choreography: Marc Nunez Sound: Paul Olivo AT 11:11 by Mery Racauchi out now.
It’s getting late, and I don’t want to keep you here all night, so let’s talk about your music.
When did you decide to become a singer, and how does it fit into what you’re doing with fashion?
Oh! I love music, always! But I was afraid of trying. My friend Lily told me that “you can totally do it”...and I was like “Aaah! Ok!”. So she helped me with everything, and I did it. I love producing events in general, and every time I do a fashion show, I’ve wanted to do a music show. I wanted to sing, but I wasn’t doing any songs at the time, so I’d just do someone else’s music. Now, it’s like I can do everything.
I think fashion and music are very similar. Everything is connected. Doing music is a lot like fashion, too. You have your image, how you dress… It talks about you as a musician too. I think I needed to know fashion to also do music.
Do you actually play any musical instruments?
I know a little bit of guitar...but, I don’t.
When you’re composing your songs, do you just compose them in your head, then write them down, are you with other musicians?
No, I work with Lily and Joe. And they help me with everything. I can tell them, “Oh, I like this style...I want to play drums...I want it to be super slow...super fast…”, show them references of my favorite artist and stuff, and they create it for me.
When you’re composing your music, are there any particular things that you feel that you want to sing about? Or do you just want to compose feel-good club songs?
No. I’m more of like trying to think about a story with a theme...make everything have sense. I’m not the kind of person that would just freelance a song and be like “lets just talk about having fun at a party.” If I do that song, it’s because I’ve been thinking about doing that song. I don’t feel comfortable...I tried, but I don’t like “let’s see what we can talk about”, it goes nowhere for me. It works for some people, but it doesn’t work for me. So, I’d just rather have an idea...a super story...write down a story and just turn it into a song.
Composing your music, what comes first in that? Lyrics? Chords?
First is instrumental. There’s a lot of people who write the lyrics and then they just add in the music; but, I don’t know how to do that. (soft laugh) It’s not my thing; I just choose a beat and then we write...we put the lyrics and we write the song depending on the beat we have. So, the beat goes first, then the lyrics go after. Then it’s just mixing and...well, you have to record.
Who are you recording in the studio with? Who do you have doing the production?
Lily and Joe.
Is there ever any conflict where time is concerned, being able to have time to compose and record music, and managing your clothing brand?
I’m good. I have a great team though...they work with me. So, it’s not that I am taking care of every single detail. If not, it would be more difficult to handle.
You mentioned that you were getting ready to record another song. How many songs have you recorded?
I only have one song.
You have one song that’s available, but you’re going to record another song...
Tomorrow.
How has the reception to “At 11:11” been? You’re on Spotify, Apple Music…
Oh, it’s been great! We’ve had like 20,000 plays...and, something I didn’t tell you...I’m going to do a song with an Argentinian celebrity singer. It’s going to be like a Reggaeton. I don’t have any Reggaeton kind of song in my mind; but, this is going to be a special one with her.
We spoke before about your intention to release a five song EP?
Yeah. I’m not sure when I’m going to do that. Maybe release it in January or February for fashion week.
Ok. So, no Christmas songs? I’m just kidding.
(Soft laugh) I love them, too.
You love Christmas songs?
Yeah…
Yeah, me too.
I had a wonderful evening with Mery, Ringo, and Stephen. It was great being able to conduct this interview at The 9 Studios, while Stephen took the amazing shots of Mery you see on this page. Check out his website, and follow his work at Instagram.
Shop Mery by Mery, shop Mery Playa. Check out Mery’s hit single At 11:11, follow her journey at Facebook and Instagram.
