Mengly Germania Hernandez is a native New Yorker and a textile designer, and uses her experience as a artist and fashion stylist to cultivate an unconventional, feminine aesthetic, producing her own prints through various mediums including hand silk screening, block printing, watercolor painting, drawing, digital printing and photography for her own line, Linea Germania. Today, she shares 3 ways to wear a scarf this summer…
Shoes: Prada, Shirt: Vintage, Scarf: LINEA Germania SS2018, Adetacher lace pants
LaTonya: Where does personal style and being a designer meet?
Mengly: approach both my personal style and my designing without strict ideas or limitations. I have an open mind for both.
LaTonya: Are you influenced by the everyday space/area of where you live?
Mengly: I really love that my neighborhood has a mashup of different structures. For example, we have the Jumel Terrace Historic District which consists of a beautiful landmark called Morris-Jumel Mansion. The area is made up of wood row houses, many brownstones, tree-lined, cobblestone streets. There also are tenement buildings that have their own charm. I love that there is a wide, varied but real representation of people from different ages and cultures.
LaTonya: You live in tri-spaces of creativity, always making. Whether it is being a mother, designing, or dressing yourself, can you tell us what is a normal morning like in your life?
Mengly: I usually wake up between 7 and 7:30, and divide responsibilities with my husband. We take turns getting our little Ebba ready with breakfast, shower and getting dressed for day care. My days vary, so there are some where I leave home to run errands for my projects; or others where I go straight to the studio to research materials for my art pieces. I prep for my monthly workshops, and draw and paint for my textile collections. Each day can look completely different from the last.
Hand woven bag from the Dominican Republic, Shoes: Vintage, Scarf: LINEA Germania SS 2018, L’enchanteur ring, JCH bracelet, Theyskens’ Theory dress
LaTonya: When it comes to being a women’s designer, what is one thing you’d like to convey to consumers?
Mengly: It supports me when someone purchases a piece; but they are investing in themselves as well. My textiles are made to last, handmade by an artisan. My desire is to make create heirlooms that can be passed down. They’re unique. You can’t find them in fast fashion. I think there is extreme value in all of this.
LINEA Germania FW 2019 scarf worn as top, Shoes: Vintage, Denim Skirt, Vintage (similar)
LaTonya: Three words to describe your style?
Mengly: Intuitive, adventurous, unique.
Thank you, Mengly! You can follow what inspires Mengly here, and shop her collection of scarves right here. Photography by Maia Harms for LaTonya Yvette
I bet this was a really fun photoshoot to do. I’m digging the non-traditional backgrounds… vibes