Say hello to Marissa Smith! In case you didn’t know, Sanrio and Marissa teamed up to create the stylish and bold NYLON x Sanrio collab that hit stores at the end of May.
Marissa is the Senior Fashion Market Editor at NYLON and works on both the print issue and the website curating all the latest fashion trends. Her Instagram account (@marissaexplains) has over 15.8K followers and is a super fun peek into her life as a fashion influencer. We were lucky enough to get a chance to chat with her about the collection… let Marissa explain!
How long have you worked at NYLON?
I’ve worked at NYLON for 4 and a half years. I started here, as the Fashion Assistant, overseeing the fashion closet and sample trafficking and now I am the Senior Fashion Market Editor here.
How long have you been a Sanrio fan?
I mean, since I can remember – probably about 4 years old!
We always have to ask, which Sanrio character is your favorite?
Okay, it’s a tie between Keroppi AND Pochacco. I had a Keroppi umbrella growing up (that I still have at my parents' house) that I remember distinctly. Also, there was an amazing board game about his family that I played constantly.
Is this the Keroppi board game?
OMG, YES THAT’S IT!!!!!!
How did the NYLON x Sanrio collab come about?
I was told from our E-Commerce Director Katherine Martinez that Sanrio had reached out about doing something with NYLON. Luckily I was flying out to LA that week and got a chance to visit the offices and have a meeting in person about the possibilities. From there we started bouncing around ideas until we landed on the items in the collaboration.
Can you tell us a little bit about the process of designing the collection?
For me, it was really about making something that I knew our readers would enjoy. Katherine and I really worked hard to make sure that happened. We wanted something that felt a tad bit nostalgic, and modern that they could wear now but would really remind them of being a kid. Sanrio offered us vintage patterns of the characters (Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Little Twin Stars, and Gudetama) so it was great to incorporate art from when we were kids with silhouettes that are trending now.
Do you have a personal connection to the characters featured on the clothes? Tell us more!
Although Gudetama is a newer character, he’s definitely become a fast favorite of mine. I recently went to Tokyo, Japan for the first time where I got introduced to him in a toy store, and it all went downhill from there. The Instagram stalking, texting photos to my husband. He really embodies my inner most thoughts and feelings most days. I was excited to get him into the collaboration and show how he can be cute and depressed at the same time.
If you had to pick, what’s your favorite piece?
Hands down the Hello Kitty bomber jacket, I’m obsessed with it and wear it all the time. It’s the perfect fix for when I want to have something fun on, and still want to look cool.
How would you style it?
Most of the time I do wear it with our Hello Kitty graphic tee from the collection and a pair of boyfriend jeans. BUT I’ve recently been wearing it over summer dresses for when it gets cold out at night. It’s perfect.
Finally, what’s next for 2017? Are there any trends we should hop on? Or start?
Well, since fall is on the horizon, get on top of your velvets, metallics and fuzzy faux furs! They’ll be what everyone wants!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Marissa! Be sure to follow Marissa on Instagram and stay up to date with all the latest fashion trends with her on Nylon.com. And don’t miss out; the NYLON x Sanrio collection is available now at Sanrio.com, select Sanrio stores and at Nylon.com.