Denise Mercedes is a Dominican entrepreneur and creator. She is the founder of #becauseitsmybody, a body-positive campaign that celebrates all bodies, and the founder of #stylenotsize, a movement that showcases that all body types can look good in the same outfits.

What does it mean to you to be part of the Latinx community?

I am honored to be a part of the Latinx community because I am able to embrace my Latinx identity and connect with people who share the same cultural background!


How has the TikTok community inspired you?

TikTok inspires me because I am constantly learning and discovering new things from the community.


How do you share your culture on TikTok?

I recently created a video with my friend where we discovered that each word or phrase would have different versions depending on where in Latin America you were from. It was fascinating to hear the different versions, and we had a lot of fun creating the video.


How did you come up with #stylenotsize, why did you start it and how has it grown?

#Stylenotsize came about after having a casual conversation with my friend. I noticed that we had similar style senses but different body sizes, so I created a video where we would wear the same outfit to show people that you could look good in the same clothes no matter what size you are. We received great feedback and noticed that the hashtag had 50 million views on TikTok, resulting in brands like Macy’s and Abercrombie wanting to collaborate. It was crazy to see how a small idea could turn into something so big and impact the community in a positive way.


What are some of your passions on and off of TikTok?

I am passionate about fashion because it makes me feel confident. I want to continue to inspire women to dress however they would like and feel good in what they wear.


What advice would you give to someone starting to create fashion content?

I would say keep going. I know that sounds very cliche, but I have had so many setbacks in my career that if I had stopped, I would have never made it to where I am today. I never thought I would partner with brands like Macy’s, let alone have a collection with them, so even if you doubt yourself, keep going because you never know where your content can lead you!