Mercedes owes it to her family, friends, and those throughout her community who have watched her grow up for continually pushing her to strive for her dreams throughout the years. She began modeling at the age of 16 and attended schools, including John Robert Powers, to strengthen the talent that had already come naturally for her. Mercedes had no choice but to put her modeling career on the back ...burner while she attended college at Central Pennsylvania. After three long years of school, her hopes of returning to the lights didn’t happen as planned and the search for a career was on.

Mercedes begin to search for careers that would give her a chance to excel with her criminal justice degree however; a dream never dies. She continually longed to be in front of the camera and for an opportunity to do what she loved. Mercedes is currently working as a TSS and loves her job but, with so much support surrounding her, she has no choice but to get back in front of the camera. “There was no way I thought I was going to be able to work, pay my bills, and pursue a modeling career,” she says, “but, I also cant live knowing I didn’t do everything I could before I gave up on my childhood dream.”

The photo shoots and job offers begin rolling right back in once Mercedes decided to make herself available and try one more time. “Photo shoots aren’t anything new to me,” she says, “that was always my favorite part of modeling.” She reminisced on shoots with Flaasshhh Media Productions and talked about Flaashhh, one of her photographers, being killed in a shoot out in his 26th and Lehigh studio. “I loved Flaasshhh. He was more than a photographer, he was my friend. I used to go to the studio right after school everyday just to chill. Rather we were shooting or just relaxing at the studio, Flaasshhh was always fun to be around.” Mercedes recalled being on her way to the studio the day of the incident but turning around when she got a call from a close friend for a favor. “I’m still shocked,” she says, “Allah was definitely on my side that day because I would’ve been right in the middle of that shooting. I still think about what would have happened if I had gone. I blamed myself for a long time thinking that I could have prevented something but now I understand that Allah is going to have his way despite what we do. That was my homie though. I pray Allah has mercy on his soul.”

The 23 year old was able to make it pass her loss with the help of her close friends and relatives. “My family and friends are EVERYTHING to me,” she says, “I wouldn’t be any good without those crazy people.” Mercedes comes from a close family and has one older sister. She says her brother passed away before she was born but that she and her sister are “close.” “She calls me Ramona and I call her Beezus,” a joke from a film starring Selena Gomez. “Oh, how I just love to get on that girls nerves,” she laughs. The bond Mercedes has with her family and friends is what sparked their upcoming project entitled Loud Rumors. “I can’t say much about the project right now but definitely keep a look out for it,” she says. “We have big things planned and I’m blessed to be able to put these plans in action with the people who I care about the most.”

Mercedes favorite part of modeling is print. She has shot with Susan Callan, Martin Taylor, and Frank Otten, just to name a few. She can also be seen in Black Passion and Solid Gold Magazines as well as VBLAZIN Magazine.

Mercedes…or Mercedes Simira, which includes her middle name which was given to her by her older sister, is ready to take on the whole game. “I’m ready,” she says. “Im still holding down a job, bills, family, and looking to go back to school for my maters degree but I’m ready. I really want the world to see my talent,” she says. “I think a lot of good models are underestimated kind of, everybody is always like ‘it’s a nice picture, but it doesn’t take much to pose in front of a camera.’ It takes a lot sometimes. It’s not always as easy as it looks, even when it’s something that seems like it comes natural. We go through a lot and it takes a lot of maturity, confidence, and drive to do what we do. There are no days off. Everybody always expects you to look a certain way but we’re only human. Its days where I just want to wear sweat pants but I have to remember there’s always somebody looking. We get judged a lot off what we look like or what we wear and not who we are. That’s really the downside to modeling because I have a lot of personality that people don’t get to see because I’m only 5’6, or because my hips aren’t a size zero,” she jokes, “but its cool. I just hope the people are with me and continue to be supportive throughout this journey.”

Susan Callan Photography (Philadelphia)
Martin Taylor Photography (Philadelphia)
Frank Otten Photography (New York)
Flaasshhh Media Photography (Philadelphia)
Black Passion Magazine Photography (Philadelphia)
Solid Gold Magazine Photography (Philadelphia)
VBlazin Magazine (Willow Grove)
Field Of View (New Jersey)
Mikey B. Photography (Philadelphia)
Farouk Systems (Harrisburg)
Young Steff (Dark Child Records)
Crystal Chanel (Philadelphia)

Tags

See All Tags (21)