INFLUENTIAL STYLE

STYLIN’

in all shapes and sizes

By Tara Ryazansky

Photos by Denise Mercedes

Denise Mercedes is a plus-size model and influencer who has 1.4 million Instagram followers. On TikTok she has an impressive 3.5 million. Social media is where she has gone viral for her fashion photos and videos, but Jersey City is where she got her start exploring her creative side through fashion.

“I was born and raised in Jersey City. I’ve lived here my whole life. I still do,” says Mercedes.

In 2006 she was 13 years old.

“My neighbor across the street from me right on Summit Avenue owned a photo studio. I had asked her, ‘Hey is there anything I can do to make lunch money, or maybe money to buy myself a pair of shoes here and there.’ She was like, ‘Yeah you can come and answer the phone and help me out.’ ”

While working as a receptionist, Mercedes watched models come in for photoshoots. She observed how they posed in front of the camera and wanted to try it for herself.

“I started to save money to buy my own camera. It took me about six months to save and then my dad helped me with the rest,” Mercedes says.

After work, she would take photos with friends at the studio.

“We probably didn’t know what we were doing. Could you believe that I still have those pictures? You can just tell that I was having so much fun.”

Mercedes spent her teen years modeling as a hobby and with photographers all over the city. She says it was different for plussize models then.

“When I was 16 there was no body-positive movement in what I saw in the media. I didn’t feel like I was being represented at all. I mean, I literally wasn’t. I didn’t see a girl who looked like me on TV or on a magazine,” Mercedes says. “I feel like the body-positive movement is doing so much for the younger generation. They’re now seeing girls like themselves. I’m really happy to be a part of it. I’m happy to showcase to other girls who have my same body type that we can wear anything and look amazing.”

Looking Good

One way that Mercedes is promoting that concept is with #StyleNotSize. She created the hashtag and video series with her friend, Maria Castellanos.

Castellanos’ husband and Mercedes’ boyfriend are childhood friends. The two women met during a night out in Jersey City.

“We met at Lucky 7. Maria said she was getting into photography and she wanted to collaborate with me just to get used to the camera. I was totally into it. She started helping me create content for my social media,” Mercedes says. “It turns out that she liked being in front of the camera so she started creating content as well and she’s really good at it. I asked her if she would come to the beach with me and take a photo in the exact same thing. I thought it would be a pretty cool, positive thing to post on social media being that we’re different sizes and we can showcase that we both look good in the exact same thing.”

Mercedes wears a size 14 and Castellanos wears a size six. The women posted the side-by-side photo on Instagram.

“We got a lot of positive feedback,” Mercedes says.

Soon after, in 2020 Mercedes joined TikTok.

“I saw that it was more of a videosharing app than a photo-sharing app. I was like, OK, I’m into this, I can do what I’m doing on Instagram but make it into a video form,” she said, with Castellanos on board to join her. “We didn’t know much about video editing, but it was something we were able to pick up pretty fast being that the app is really easy to use.”

The pair styled some matching outfits and made a video posing together.

“It went super viral and we really didn’t expect that. I would say that #StyleNotSize started on Instagram, but the actual series was born on TikTok,” Mercedes explains.

She and Castellanos quickly made another video.

“By that point, we had even more experience with the video editing part. It went even more viral. The second time I think it got 30 million views.”

Fashion Inclusion

The caption of one of her earliest #StyleNotSize videos on TikTok says, “2 different body types, same style. You can dress cute regardless of whatever shape or size you are!”

Last year, Mercedes and Castellanos launched an inclusive fashion collection with Macy’s to share their sense of style with the world.

“The pieces for the Macy’s collection are loungewear. We wanted to create pieces that you could wear as loungewear at home, but also style as a whole look to go out. We’re dropping our second collection in March. You can shop the collection right in Jersey City,” Mercedes adds.

The range can be found at the Newport Centre and includes sizes XS-3X.

Mercedes also has another clothing line that she is releasing solo with a brand called Rebdolls.

“I have some summer pieces that I’m really excited to share. They will be going up to a 5X, which is very size-inclusive. I am so happy about that. I feel like everyone will be able to wear it. Fashion is for everyone. Fashion is such a cool way that people can express themselves,” Mercedes says. “Another thing that I love about fashion is that it’s a way to help you feel confident.”

DeniseMercedes.com @denisemmercedes on Instagram and TikTok