“Every woman should have one black dress, a fabulous pair of shoes and bag”

Carlos Martins is a devoted stylist at Styling Up. His style is mainly casual chic and he dreams of styling Evan Rachel Wood and Jonathan Myers.

He studied fashion in 2000 but his professional path took him to interior design. He has been an interior designer for over 6 years, but he kept dreaming of becoming a fashion stylist and he worked in theaters and contests as a wardrobe stylist ... he loves combining colors, fabrics, textures, and  he’s an art and design lover.

Carlos loves everything that is edgy and chic. He started working at Styling Up right from the beginning and in our website he has already styled hundreds of awesome outfits. You can find style recommendations from Carlos in our style shop. Get to know this stylist a little better in the interview below.

How and when did you start in the fashion styling career? Tell us your story.

As a fashion designer I worked at some projects in the area like wardrobe for characters in theater and contests. I also work as an Interior Designer at BoConcept. I made some interior projects and others like commercial stands at Lisbon Fashion Week.  Right now,AAAARight now, Rightcss  I´m collaborating with Styling Up at big scale, customizing outfits for all kind of clients and I’m also working at a worldwide fashion brand, very known for its casual and luxurious pieces, as a consultant.

What does fashion mean to you?

Well... for me Fashion is like a statement of art. It’s a large step for someone to become unique and singular!

What are your favorite brands & designers? Why?

My favorite designers are Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Dolce&Gabbana , Alexander Wang and so many others, because they all have an unique vision about concept and style. Besides of fashion, I also love other visual arts like design, sculpture, and so on.

Pepe Jeans Dress

How would you define your personal style?

My personal style is a mix of concepts and brands… so, mainly, I define my personal style as trendy. I’m always looking forward for trends and trying to discover new ways to approach my kind of look and style. Like every other person, some days I feel like I need to conquer the world with a new vision or statement, and on some other days I just get on a more casual and discreet mood. This is why I say that my style is my own statement… I follow my own rules, concept and style.

If you could pick 3 fashion must-haves that every woman should own, what would they be?

Funny, this is the old question that anyone wants to know an answer for...  It really depends because every woman is different, but I think that every woman should have one black dress, it doesn’t matter if it’s simple because you can style it up with accessories; a fabulous pair of shoes and bag… This always works and regarding the last two (shoes and bag) it really makes sense that you pay for quality (eg: a pair of Louboutin).

Which season do you prefer to style for: Autumn/Winter or Spring/Summer?

I love styling for the end of summer’s season, when everyone is relaxed, and thinking about the sun, the beach, parties and romance… everything is going on smoothly and perfectly and we can take some fashion risks with colors and patterns and mix all that.

All in One Jersey Jumpsuit, Diesel

Of the clothes you recommend in Styling Up's website, which is your favorite for this Autumn/Winter season?

Actually, I love several outfits for different reasons: This dress from Pepe Jeans, though it’s casual, I think it makes a beauty statement; This Jumpsuit from Diesel is very trendy and sophisticated and I think that this color is great for this season and I think it’s awesome to wear to a party or cocktail; This pleated dress from Missguided is great for someone who wants to be unique and make a statement wearing a more bright color… I also find the color very refreshing.

 If you could be a fashion stylist to one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Probably Evan Rachel Wood and Jonathan Myers. Both are young and have a peculiar attitude. They also represent so many things I enjoy, like for example indie movies, music, art and they both also rock at big parties. I would love to create their next style.

What do you think about fashion blogs and magazines? Which ones do you check out regularly?

I love both fashion blogs and magazines, because we can learn so much about fashion, designers and what will be trending next season. Since everyone has different ways of looking at fashion, it’s great to read about different perspectives and discuss it.

The blogs I check up frequently are the following: The Sartorialist, The Style Examiner; Alfaiate Lisboeta, and so many others. As for magazines, I recommend: Dazed and Confused, Kaltblut Magazine, Dsection Mag and V Magazine.