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| AP Photo/Felipe Dana via Newscred |
by Emma Spedding, The Daily Telegraph, August 01, 2016
The Rio Olympics 2016 are now just days away, so the eyes of the world will soon be firmly fixed on Brazil. So what better excuse to shine a spotlight on the gold medal-worthy fashion to hail from the South American nation? Here some of the country's most stylish editors and street style stars reveal how women approach style in a place where the average temperature is 27°C and all-black outfits are an alien concept...
Marina Larroude, Fashion Director at TeenVogue.com
Marina Larroude started her fashion career at Vogue Brasil, and then went on to be Style Director at Style.com and Fashion Director at TeenVogue.com. While she now lives in New York, a world away from her home town Araçatuba, her Brazilian upbringing still has a huge influence on how she dresses every single day.
Why she will never wear black
"I lived in the countryside where it's summer all year around - about 80/90 degrees throughout the year," Larroude says. "You can barely wear jeans, so I love dresses. If it's 60 degrees in New York, I'll wear skirts and dresses and I just can't wear pants. I didn't own any clothes that were black growing up, so still wear lots and lots of colour, and lean towards cotton and dresses. I don't own a lot of black and will very rarely wear a black outfit - maybe once a year. I'm not afraid of wearing colour and gravitate towards pieces that have that Brazilian aesthetic, so always buy more resort and summer pieces."
Why Brazilian women don't wear cut-off shorts and t-shirts- and they focus on grooming
"Brazilian women dress quite glamorously, with off-the-shoulder tops, and sexy looks which are about the body," Larroude adds. "They don't dress down in cut-offs and t-shirts, so in the heat they'll wear a beautiful, vibrant cotton dress and never look too casual. Women really embrace how feminine they are and that's a beautiful thing - they don't want to be cool, but want to look pretty all of the time."
"The thing about Brazilian women is you can't put on a lot of clothes, so they dress up with their beauty, body and hair - they go to the hair salon all the time and have perfect skin. That's the only way can look dressed up. If you go to Rio or Sao Paolo, women are always very, very polished," Larroude explains.
Marina Larroude's Brazilian labels to invest in:
"My favourite label for swimwear is Jo de Mer, it's fashionable and cool and not just a basic bikini set. Martha Medeiros does very unique lace dresses, which take over 300 hours to make each piece and are created in a community where women hand make the lace. Lane Marinho also create made to order shoes which are very special." While in Rio, Larroude advises visiting Via Flores which stocks a number of Brazilian designers and NK Store for stylish buys.
Helena Bordon, Fashion blogger and street style star
Brazilian fashion blogger and street style star Helena Bordon practically grew up at fashion week, attending alongside her mother is Donata Meirelles, the Style Director at Vogue Brasil.
In Sao Paulo, it's all about being practical but stylish
"I'm a proper Paulista - this is what they call people who are from Sao Paulo. I am always going around from one meeting or shoot to another so I always try to keep my style casual but with a twist," Bordon says. "Brazil is a tropical country so we tend to wear lighter things, but I love a good pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and amazing shoes - for the day I am obsessed with cool flats and sneakers. Living in Sao Paulo, I have learned to be practical but always make sure accessories are on point."
Brazilian women have fun with fashion
"Brazilians love prints, flowy dresses and fabrics and a cool pair of sunglasses and flats. It is super hot here all year round so we want to keep it fresh but always with a fun twist. I think we like to have fun with fashion," Bordon explains. "Brazil is all about colours and cool prints, and a 'sexy' effortless style and the bodies are also on point!"
The Brazilian brands to name check
Bordon recommends Adriana Degreas and Lenny for swimwear, Patricia Bonaldi for evening dresses and Bob Store, because she says "it's a great balance between Brazilian style and New Yorker style."
Thássia Naves, fashion blogger
Thássia Naves is one of the most influential fashion bloggers in Brazil, with over 2 million followers on Instagram.
On always having a Brazilian spin on her looks
"I really like the Brazilian reference and always adapt it to my day to day looks, with exuberant colours, prints and tropical mood adding my personal edge to it," Naves explains.
Brazilian designers to know
"Pat Bo, Adriana Degreas, Gig, Coven, Martha Medeiros, Vitorino Campos, Lucas Magalhaes, Skazi, and Isabela Capet, to name a few."
Naves' three tips for getting the Rio look:
1. Always add a dash of colour to highlight your look.
2. Keep a little skin on display to complement your overall look, for example with bare shoulders.
3. Accessories always mix up the look, and are full of personality.
This article was written by Emma Spedding from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
