The Interview —

Dorie S. & Emelyn N., Co-Founders, Of Mercer

Dorie: I have two brothers, so I was quite a tomboy until I was about 15. When all the girls in my class were wearing the cool red patent leather Airwalks, I was wearing the black ones that actual skaters wore.

Emelyn: The oversized, ill-fitting pantsuits I wore when I first started my career in finance and thought I should be dressing like the men in my office.

D: National Geographic (@natgeo) and Betches (@betches). One inspires me and one makes me laugh out loud on the subway. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which.

E: @nytimesfashion for a daily dose of street style inspiration, and @bunnymama for a daily dose of utter cuteness.

D: It’s never boring! We’re involved with every part of the business – from photography to production to web design – so we get to tackle different projects every day. Also, I have the best co-founder in the world.

E: Getting to work with my best friend every day and getting to exercise so many parts of my brain because there are so many jobs to do.

D: Lilyhammer. It fulfills my need for more Sopranos episodes.

E: House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. I love all of the strong female characters, even the crazy ones.   

D: We hug in this family.

E: Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.

D: Benefit Benetint. This rose-tinted stain can be used on cheeks and lips. It’s a great way to add a little pop to my look quickly.

E: Rouge Artist Intense #11 Lipstick by Make Up Forever. It’s a bold, dark mauve color that I’ve worn forever. It also conveniently matches the color of red wine.

D: My Madewell Skinny Skinny jeans, an oversized cashmere sweater that I “borrowed” from my husband, and a huge scarf.

E: A pair of black leggings, a super-soft, probably oversized t-shirt, and should I decide to leave my apartment, a blazer or leather jacket to fool people into thinking I tried to put myself together.

D: The Ludlow Dress in Bordeaux, a leather jacket, and moto boots.

E: A bold, bright, well-tailored dress in a classic silhouette that stands on its own, no accessories needed. Our Bryant Dress is the perfect example.

D: Truffle Salt. You can put it on absolutely everything (including $1 pizza) and it makes it taste super gourmet.

E: Labneh. It’s a Middle Eastern cheese/yogurt spread that I discovered during a business school class trip to Israel a few years ago. It’s better than cream cheese. 

D: Having a glass of wine and watching Scandal, usually with Emelyn.

E: Having a glass of red wine on my couch. Usually with Dorie.