Bringing Culture to Commerce: Tailored Merch for Talent & Icons

Merchandising made meaningful: translating talent, legacy, and lifestyle into commerce-ready collections for digital and in-store audiences.

The brief

Client
  • Andrea Bocelli, The Dead Rabbit NYC, Fraunces Tavern, Drew Sidora - Real Housewives of Atlanta, CheatDayEats
Work & Expertise
  • Design Development
  • Sourcing & Merchandising
  • Digital Marketing & Advertising
Role & Company
  • Freelance // Ecommerce & Design
    Independent // New York

Creators, cultural icons, and renowned hospitality destinations turned to MerchStores seeking ways to deepen engagement, build loyalty, and monetize their stories through merchandise. Andrea Bocelli, Real Housewives cast members, CheatDayEats, iconic & historic venues like The Dead Rabbit and Fraunces Tavern needed a merchandising partner capable of translating identity into high-quality products and integrated retail systems—without overburdening their teams. They sought a seamless end-to-end solution—from strategy and design to logistics and digital commerce.

Extending Experience Through Product

Monetizing Moments

The work

I oversaw the execution of product collaborations, aligning brand identity with market demand across entertainment and hospitality. Working closely with artist management, brand stakeholders, and partner agencies, I led concept validation, managed production timelines, and shaped go-to-market strategies — all while ensuring vendor execution stayed aligned with budget, quality standards, and creative intent.

With Andrea Bocelli and Real Housewives talent, we shaped capsule collections that extended their personal brands into wearable storytelling—balancing premium design, compliance approvals, pricing strategy, and margin modeling.

For CheatDayEats, we translated her vibrant personality and food-centric content into signature merch—designing collections, merchandising stories around indulgence and joy, and fulfilling across platforms including Shopify and marketplace channels.

For The Dead Rabbit and Fraunces Tavern—equally iconic in NYC’s hospitality scene—we ideated branded merchandise anchored in their heritage and cocktail legacy. I defined the merchandising assortment, coordinated with artist partnerships for design, structured fulfillment workflows, and activated digital and email-based launch campaigns.

Throughout execution, I integrated merchandising infrastructure—an optimized product page strategy conveying nostalgia, authenticity, and fandom while aligning with licensing terms. I led workflows for SEO‑optimized PDPs, implemented full-funnel campaigns, automated email/SMS journeys, and ensured cohesive experience across brand-owned and third-party sales channels. I managed operations from inventory planning to delivery, supporting scalable growth across collaborations.

Fandom Into Fashion

Revolution To Retail

Extending NYC restaurant Fraunces Tavern’s history and branding through merch.