It’s been a rainy week in Buenos Aires, but that hasn’t stopped well dressed porteños across the city from stepping out in style. Once again we hit the streets with a camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other to track down the best in Argentine street style.
This week we hit the cobbled streets of San Telmo to chat with some of the laid back locals. This bohemian barrio is more about vintage markets and artisan products than the designer malls and expensive brands that typify other parts of the city.
We caught up with some of the local shoppers to talk about creativity, individuality, and why knitting your own coat is the way forward…
Anabella wearing leggings by Bendita Elocuencia, a jacket by Emporio Cueros and the tunic by A.Y Not Dead (Photo: Amy Cooper Goodrich)
Name: Anabella
Age: 31
Where do you live? Buenos Aires, Zona Sur
What do you do? Works as an administrator in a factory
What are you wearing today?
“Today I’m wearing some leggings I bought with a friend, I put them on to show her. They’re from Bendita Elocuencia, my jacket is Emporio Cueros and my tunic is A.Y Not Dead. I’m not sure where my shoes are from, they were a present. I like to play around with clothes. I don’t have a specific style – one day I might wear a certain style and the next day it’ll be completely different.”
What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?
“I love clothes, I like fashion here more than ever because it’s a really liberated style with a lot of diversity. Everyone has their own style. I think everyone should have their own style and be diverse, some people have a more classic style, others are hippies, there are loads of different styles.”
Favourite brands/ designers?
“There are loads of independent designers which are interesting and make good clothes, and then there are bigger designer brands like A.Y Not Dead which I like…there are a lot of interesting brands out there.”
Mariel wearing a cardigan coat she knitted herself, and a top from Bolivia. (Photo: Agus Carini)
Name: Mariel Mosca
Age: 43
Where do you live? Parque Chacabuco
What do you do? Sells artisan knitwear
What are you wearing today?
“I knitted this cardigan coat, it’s my favourite part of what I’m wearing. I bought this top from Bolivia. You can see my boots aren’t particularly fashionable, I just wear what I like.”
What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?
“Certain people follow fashion but it repeats itself and they look the same but there are people who prefer to be more individual, like me. I just wear what I want to and fashion isn’t important. I think people in Argentina are quite scared of using big and happy colours and playing around with it, which is what I like to do. Argentines don’t have this urge; they have more colours which are dark and sombre, they wear a lot of black.”
Favourite brands/ designers?
“I don’t like designer clothing. I like to know who made my clothes, I like artisan pieces.”
Diego wearing a jacket from a Feria Americana (vintage shop), shoes from Bond Street and jeans by City Rockers. (Photo: Agus Carini)
Name: Diego Amengual
Age: 38
Where do you live? Boedo
What do you do? Owns a tattoo shop
What are you wearing today?
“My jacket is from a Feria Americana (vintage shop), my shoes are from Bond Street and my jeans are City Rockers.”
What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?
“I like fashion design but I don’t particularly follow fashion trends. There are a lot of interesting designers here, a lot of creative things in the fashion world here, I don’t know exactly what defines what is fashion at the moment but there are a lot of creative things going on.”
Favourite brands/ designers?
“I really like Ferias Americanas, I also like DTS a lot.”
Dolores wearing Argentine vintage clothes and shorts by Gamuza. (Photo: Amy Cooper Goodrich)
Name: Dolores Encole
Age: 31
Where do you live? Tribunales
What do you do? Teaches fashion and textiles
What are you wearing today?
“Almost everything I’m wearing today is vintage, mainly from Argentina. Though my shorts are Gamuza, I like interesting fabrics like this.”
What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?
“I love it too much, I studied fashion so I’m very interested in it. I would like to look for more specific things than what you normally see around though. I’m really interested in the vintage scene here, I think it has a lot to offer.”
Favourite designers/ brands?
“There are lot of interesting designers here, like Gamuza, but generally I prefer to look for more unique things, that’s why I buy so much vintage, but there are a lot of designers doing really interesting things.”
Mercedes wearing trousers by Awada, boots by Complot and a coat by Wanama. (Photo: Agust Carini)
Name: Mercedes Santos
Age: 22
Where do you live: La Plata
What are you wearing today?
“My trousers are from Awada, they’re my favourite thing about this outfit – I like the pattern. I really like these boots too, they’re from Complot. My coat is from Wanama.”
What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?
“I love fashion in Buenos Aires, you can get everything here, there are lots of different things going on.”
Favourite designers/ brands?
“One of my favourites is Materia. I also really like the ones I’m wearing – Wanama and Complot especially.”
This proves that San Telmo is the worse dressed neighborhood in Buenos Aires. I live here, so I´m guilty as well.