Daniela MaerkyMarketing Associate at the Standard

"My dad said you always have to have good fingernails and nice shoes."

[Ed. Note: Daniela Maerky is a marketing associate at The Standard hotel. Raised in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Daniela comes form a long line of hoteliers.]

"I’m from St. Moritz, Switzerland. It’s is a tiny mountain village with close to six thousand inhabitants.My parents have a hotel there called Steffani, that my grandfather bought in the 1800s. St. Moritz is mainly a seasonal ski destination, but it's also a big fashion hub and there are only the biggest brands there. There are no inexpensive stores at all–only Tom Ford, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, and Cartier. ... If you wanted to go shopping for anything else you had to go down to Milan.

I moved to New York City to work for The Standard. I work in marketing, and so I handle all the photoshoots that happen and I also do some public relations and social media. One of the biggest things I worked on was Shame. That was a huge production–about 130 people on site–and we got to work with Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender, which was amazing.

Obviously, The Standard is a very high-fashion environment. Because I manage all the photoshoots that happen at The Standard, I get to see all the clothes, I get to meet the producers, I get to meet the directors, the editors, the models, the stylists–it’s always a big inspiration. ... Guests and visitors really come dressed up, and we engage it. The people who work at The Standard are always very cool, too. We don’t forbid having a piercing, or anything like that. Here people can really be who they are, and I think that goes for the staff and the guests too.

What is important for me when I go to work is that I look professional in some way, but I do not have look corporate. Heels are a must. Under my desk I have my other shoes; I keep a stack of about ten pairs of shoes in my office, so whenever I have to go out to see a client I like change and then go out. My dad said you always have to have good fingernails and nice shoes. Whenever you met somebody usually it’s the shoes and the nails." --Daniela Maerky to Shop Ghost

Daniela Maerky photographed in New York by Stef Mitchell.

Daniela's Tips

Style Icon

"I love Kate Moss' style. I think I consider her my style icon. Rachel Bilson is sometimes a bit hippy chic, which I like too. I think that probably comes from hotel culture, because you see so many people relaxing and on holidays constantly, and even though I'm at work I want to dress relaxed."
Accessorize

"I invest in shoes, handbags, sunglasses, accessories. Style is definitely what you make out of it. You can buy a crappy piece of clothing somewhere for five dollars and then dress it up with accessories and jewelry, like a nice watch or a nice handbag."
Shoes

"I love shoes I have about 120 pairs I would say. My favorite shoe designers are Miu Miu, Alexander Wang, and Zara. I love Zara shoes because they’re comfortable and they’re not expensive, because shoes wear out so quickly in the New York City. I always feel bad buying a nice pair of shoes and then six months later they are like trashed."