Major influence according to the director. Anna Karina's portrayal of the woman as a free spirit, her sense of style and fashion, and her profession as a strip tease artist were the inspiration for the character of Mercedes in Mahogany Sunrise.
According to the director a promo add for the TV series was the inspiration for the dream sequence in the film. The original TV promo ad featured characters from the series tossing a gun to each other in different setups. This was translated to the scene in the film as the gun is present in different scenes with Mercedes dressed in various outfits.