Heidi Merrick's California Easy Chic

By Jen Smith
June 27, 2011

Clothing designer Heidi Merrick lives with her husband and daughter in L.A.'s Silverlake neighborhood in a rambling whitewashed bungalow overlooking a row of tall palms that, according to local lore, was once a visual outpost for Pony Express riders. Merrick, who effortlessly balances a growing business and warm family life, seeks every opportunity to cultivate beautiful surroundings. Though she keeps a studio in downtown L.A., much of the inspiration for her clothing designs begins at home.

left: Heidi Merrick with husband Johnny Johnston, a Silverlake realtor

Merrick and husband Johnny Johnston (or “JJ” as he is called by Merrick and close friends), have lovingly infused their bungalow with offhand yet thoughtful choices. Johnston applied whitewash inside and out to maximize the light. Merrick planted a kitchen garden beneath the arched window in her living room. Dappled terraces are covered in overgrown Bouganvillea vines, and doorways are marked by fragrant potted Cypress trees. Their 18-month-old daughter, Hiver (French for “winter”) plays on layered Moroccan rugs surrounded by her toys, Merrick’s handmade pillows and stacks of books and CDs. It's just the kind of polished yet easy chic we'd imagine from the fashion designer whose namesake clothing collection could be described using the same terms.

Merrick was raised in Carpinteria, CA, a sleepy surf town near Santa Barbara, by parents who fostered her love of the natural world. The daughter of legendary surfboard shaper Al Merrick, Merrick tends to play down her “surf royalty” heritage, though she and Johnston do surf, ski and fish. “First and foremost, I consider my dad an artist and a master crafter. I take his example to heart. As a fashion designer, I feel a responsibility to live my life in a beautiful manner—which means I am constantly revising my aesthetic,” she says. “The minute I’m finished with my latest clothing collection, I’m on to my home!" So it's no surprise that Merrick's latest endeavor is a collection of quilts and pillows as well as a collaboration with Calypso Home.

Heidi Merrick: Fall 2011(via YouTube)

The Inside Source: Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to be a designer?

Heidi Merrick: Yes, at my wedding! I designed my dress and my mom and I sewed it. My neighbor came up to me and commented, “You should be a dress designer!” That evening five more people said the same thing. My wedding was in October. By January I was enrolled in fashion school.

The Inside Source: What influences you as a fashion designer?

Heidi Merrick: Every day I ride that fine line between fantasy and reality—that cross between your “fantasy you” and what you’re really going to put on that morning. I really want to make beautiful clothes that women will wear...

The Inside Source: What is your favorite thing about living in Silverlake?

Heidi Merrick: My friends and neighbors.

The Inside Source: If not Silverlake, where would you want to live?

Heidi Merrick: Paris.

Heidi Merrick Spring 2011

Heidi Merrick Spring 2011 Collection

The Inside Source: Describe what’s good about L.A. style.

Heidi Merrick: In Los Angeles, a woman has every opportunity to be glamorous and dressed down at the same time. When it’s done well, L.A .women can be the most stylish in the world.

The Inside Source: What's your latest big splurge?

Heidi Merrick: I bought a pair of Celine shoes! I try to buy one gorgeous thing a year for myself…

The Inside Source: Where do you hold back?

Heidi Merrick: I don’t eat and drink out—I prefer to entertain! I’d rather drink a $40 bottle of champagne than spend $40 on a round of drinks somewhere.

Heidi Merrick Fall 2011

Heidi Merrick Fall 2011 Collection

The Inside Source: What is a childhood trait of yours that has carried over into adulthood?

Heidi Merrick: I think I am exactly the same as I was as a kid.

The Inside Source: Describe what you were into as a teen.

Heidi Merrick: Anything in a Guatemalan Grateful Dead print; I had one hot pink pair of shorts and one green—I wore them both with a white t-shirt and cowboy boots.

The Inside Source: What style advice will you pass on to your daughter, Hiver?

Heidi Merrick: Age appropriateness.

(images provided by Heidi Merrick)

Heidi Merrick's eBay Wish List

Roll over items for details

Alexander McQueen Spanish Lace Off-Shoulder Dress

(buy it now price, $10,000)

Mexican Peasant Embroidered Maxi Dress

Heidi Merrick Aunt Judy Dress

(buy it now price, $199)

Portuguese/Moorish Tile

Set of 6 Antique Pressed Crystal Glasses

(buy it now price, $45)

Almost 4 Acres in California

(starting bid, $1)

New Tom Ford Sunglasses Nikita

(buy it now price, $224.99)

Alaia Stingray Ballet Flats

(buy it now price, $249)

Cast-Iron Enclosed Tempered Glass Conservatory

(buy it now price, $18,500)

Vintage Moroccan Rugs

Vintage Kids' Woven Straw Hats

(buy it now price, $79.99)

1. Mexican Peasant Embroidered Maxi Dress: First thing in the morning, Merrick dons a “house” dress while she putters around tending to her garden, cooking breakfast and playing with her daughter. “I love the white on white embroidery on this dress,” she says. “It’s elegant in its simplicity.”

2. Alexander McQueen Spanish Lace Off-Shoulder Dress: In her dreams, Merrick would wear this lacy McQueen gypsy dress to L.A.’s Barnsdall Art Center . In June, the center hosts Friday evening wine tasting events on the grounds surrounding the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House. “Everyone brings picnics and sits on the grass.”

3. Heidi Merrick Aunt Judy Dress: “Can you believe I didn’t keep any pieces of my first collection?” exclaims Merrick. Her current eBay watch includes her own early fashion designs and 1970’s surfboards designed and hand-shaped by her dad.

4. Portuguese/Moorish Tile: For her next home improvement project, Merrick hopes to tile the wall behind her beloved 1950s Wolf kitchen stove.

5. Set of 6 Antique Pressed Crystal Glasses: “When people come to visit, I like to hand them a cool drink in a lovely glass,” says Merrick. “I like to collect different sets of them. I inherited a set of gold-rimmed glasses from my grandmother. No one knows if the glass I give them is a family heirloom or something I bought on eBay!”

6. Vintage Kids' Woven Straw Hats: “Hiver waits at the door with her hand pressed against the glass, staring outside until I open it for her. She’s very fair and needs a hat… and I love the idea of her wearing an old-fashioned straw one that I would wear!”

7. Almost 4 Acres in California: Merrick dreams of owning a ranch on a great fishing river. An avid fly fisher, she learned at age 13 while on a trip with her dad. “I was having trouble at that age and it changed my life.”

8. Alaia Stingray Ballet Flats: Merrick can’t wait to wear these ballerinas with the pedal pusher leather pants in her fall 2011 collection.

9. New Tom Ford Sunglasses Nikita: “It is impossible to take yourself seriously while wearing these glasses!” says Merrick with a laugh.

10. Cast-Iron Enclosed Tempered Glass Conservatory: One of Merrick’s obsessions is gardening. If she ever gets her dream ranch, a fancy greenhouse will be next on the list!

11. Vintage Moroccan Rugs: Textiles with burnt-out pink are Merrick’s latest obsession. “The pink is what kills me!” she exclaims. “I would definitely add this to my collection.”

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