Velvet Winter

Hi there! 

I hope everyone is surviving the long month of January. I have been traveling for work and can’t wait to get back to LA for a brief time before being back on the road!

This look is so much fun to wear to be comfy and cozy in velvet but still dressed up! The dress/tunic is Free People with a Zara turtleneck and leggings below, my Gucci belt and Rebecca Minkoff velvet pink purse which was a recent find at the Saks Outlet! I also added my blue Nine West oldie but goodie (last year for Christmas I got them) velvet boots. I love playing with layers and texture to keep warm when I’m not in LA. 

Stay warm and cozy:) 

Xo

Carolina  

Tartan & Velvet Christmas

Hi guys!

Merry (almost) Christmas! How do you like to prepare for the holidays? No matter what you celebrate, I always love how this time of year brings togetherness amongst loved ones and a joy and spirit of giving.  

In terms of wardrobe I always have in mind Nobel fabrics like velvet and leather (in my case vegan leather) and prints that feel Christmassy like tartan plaid! My look here getting ready for the holiday is vegan leather moto pants by H&M, tartan oxford shirt by JCrew, a vintage black velvet blazer, and Aldo riding boots! Finally, since fashion to me is always fun and never too fussy I just did simple makeup and a festive red lip, plenty of highlighter for a warm glow, and messy natural hair with some texturing cream for that French not-trying-too-hard feel. My dark red nails add an edge to the traditional red holiday nail look too.

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season! Next week I’ll be talking about a couple fun New Years look ideas, so stay tuned for that!

xo

Carolina

Must-Have Fall Blazer

In my vintage black velvet blazer, Gap striped top, Polo Ralph Lauren jeans, Chanel red flats and Rebecca Minkoff blush studded drawstring bucket bag.  

Hi there!

As promised in my last post, I wanted to share my favorite must have fall blazer/jacket with you: the velvet blazer. The one I styled above is vintage Gaminerie from Italy but they are absolutely everywhere this season! Velvet is popping up in jackets, dresses, tops, bags, and shoes. A sleek black velvet blazer like this one matches everything and ads style and a dressy element to any look. 

My look above includes a Gap striped long sleeve top Polo Ralph Lauren jeans (that I cut and frayed myself to try out the cutoff trend), Chanel red patent leather ballet flats, and my new Rebecca Minkoff blush drawstring studded bucket bag. I threw my hair up for an Upper West Side weekend stroll with my boyfriend where we visited Strawberry Fields (one of my all time favorite NYC spots) got brunch and shopped then took this photo in front of the famous Dakota building. I felt very French chic in this look: put together but not trying too hard. The red lip was an afterthought but most of the day I wasn’t wearing it.  I think it’s very chic to have a casual look with a blazer and slightly messy hair :)

Xo, 

Carolina

NYFW recap

At the Made in Earth NYFW presentation. Photography by Francisco Graciano.  

Hi there! 

With New York fashion week now wrapped and my feeling better from a bad cold, I finally have the time to recap for you! I kicked off the week by attending the Made in Earth showroom party in SoHo at their Elizabeth Street location. Upon meeting owner and founder Bunny Bedi (who is based in Australia) Francisco and I fell in love with the brand and the beautiful natural jewelry. 

All of their gemstones are mined in different parts of the world. For example, one of my favorites in the images above is rainbow pyrite (the gold glittery one) which exclusively comes from Russia. See the image right above the jewelry where Bunny opened the rock to show us rainbow pyrite in its natural habitat. I am now the proud owner of rainbow pyrite earrings and an adventurine green skull ring. Not only do these stones look beautiful but they are expertly crafted and all have energetic properties that will help you in all areas of your relationships or your decision-making process. Stay tuned for a collab shoot we did the following week which I'll post next!

I was also able to attend @thenylonproject1's #itcanbeyou homelessness awareness benefit  at The Delancey where they featured an raffle, fashion show, celebrities, DJ, and more. Among the celebrities doing interviews were Miss NY, JWoww, and others. I always love attending a charity event and hope I can attend another Nylon Project event. I wore my Huminska emerald green velvet dress, Chanel ice cube bag, and H&M silver ankle booties. Metallics and velvet are big trends for fall and I just love them! 

Domingo Zapata "LovexFashionxArt" NYFW show at The Box. Photography by me and Francisco Graciano.  

One show I had a blast attending was the Domingo Zapata #LovexFashionxArt presentation. He is a visual artist from Spain and in this fashion show there was a mixture of live painting (one of the models had a heart painted on her back by him) and flamenco dancing as well as a drag performer and grunge meets flamenco clothing look with Spanish and pop music. It was a lot of fun to attend! If you look closely in my photos you might spot Lindsey Lohan. Check out my Instagram @carolinasantosread for videos of the painting and flamenco performer. The show was at the Box in the Lower East Side, further adding to the grunge & rock and roll vibe. 

The photos above are from the Nolcha accessories presentation featuring wonderful beauty and accessories collections. I really enjoyed meeting some of the designers and chatting with them about their brand. El Voyage had some fabulous shoes, handbags, and scarves as did Andraab which focuses on luxury cashmere scarves from the cashmere region in India. Cofi designs are all from Denver and they make leather goods either shoes or bags with patterns and textures that are just beautiful! I love their metallic boots and bags that feel so soft like suede but are in fact leather. Their floral cowboy boots are so gorgeous too! 

I also loved talking to beauty brand Ecru New York and trying their lipstick and mascara. I will soon get to try out their hair products and I'll be sure to post about all the products they gave me to try! See my Instagram for a little video I did wearing their berry lipstick and mascara. So smooth and really lasts, and my lashes looked incredibly long! 

All the fashion week shows and events I was able to attend (a Puma event prior to fashion week too, see my IG for more) were wonderful! I can't wait to pick up some new pieces for fall, but in the meantime I'm excited for Spring to be here soon with the weather starting to heat up in New York. There are so many fun jackets and shoes I can't wait to start wearing! 

Stay tuned next week for a shoot Francisco and I did for Made in Earth where I was able to model some of their gorgeous jewelry! 

Xoxo

Carolina

Velvet Dress Up

In my new emerald green velvet dress from Huminska boutique in the East Village. This is the Greta dress in Huntress Green. Styled with Valentino rock stud flats and Furla bag. Photography in San Antonio by Francisco Graciano.  

Hi there!

Happy New Year! I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday break. I certainly did getting to see my family in CT and Francisco's in San Antonio, TX. While in Texas we took the time to photograph my new Huminska boutique "Huntress Green" "Greta" dress. I have been looking for the perfect velvet dress and this color is really flattering on most skin tones including mine. It hugs the body in the right places and I love the peekaboo detail just below the collarbone with the bow that can wrap around the neck or on the chest. The ruffle on the bottom adds a lovely silhouette too. Huminska is a beautiful little boutique in the East Village of Manhattan. All dresses are designed by the owner and made in the garment district. They are pricey but will last and are easy to wash. I fell in love with this dress and had to have it. It feels good to shop local too!

I styled the dress with my new grey Valentino rock stud flats, and my new  Furla purple gummy purse with gold chain strap, which my Godmother just gifted me from Paris. I am in love with my new little purse! It is very versatile and such a cute size. It can be dressed up or down and is perfect with a dress to go out. Even though the holidays are over there is plenty of opportunity to dress up and go out, and velvet is a perfect of the moment trend that can still be worn after the holidays. 

Xo, 

Carolina