Fashion designer at Cris Barros.

THE CITY TALK

WHAT INSPIRED YOU IN SÃO PAULO RECENTLY?
It is funny because my last collection is a love letter to SP. My soul is "Paulista". Brutalism architecture is very poetic to me. There is a lot of energy, there is a constant movement happening. I saw São Paulo changing so much through the years. Some time ago all the foreign people would go to Rio only. São Paulo was not an obvious choice. I feel now the Art market is exploding here. There are so many new interesting venues, so many interesting things to see. People opening small businesses everyday. People now come to São Paulo because they really like its vibe. Caetano Veloso explains this feeling very well in one of his song (*Sampa): at first he didn’t get São Paulo but understood he had to give it some time to really appreciate it.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT IN SP?
During the week I go a lot to restaurants, so at week-ends I love staying home and having friends over and cook something very simple like pasta or order Arabic food in.

BEST PLACE TO BUY A GIFT?
There is this shop called Cestarias Regio in Pinheiros which I love. They sell handmade arts and crafts from Brazil. It is amazing.

BEST PLACE TO SIT AND WATCH THE PEOPLE PASS BY?
I love going to centro and sometimes I like going to Praça 25 de Março.
I like Pinheiros to walk around. I like walking by myself, during the week-end when I don’t go to the farm house.

ANY TIPS FOR GETTING THE TRUE LOCAL ART EXPERIENCE?
Pivô, which our company is supporting is helping so many emerging talents. I like going there and getting to know the new artists, their techniques, have a beer with them… They all come from different places and backgrounds. I am genuinely interested by Pivô’s work. Listening to someone talking about his work is inspiring.

TYPICAL SUNDAY?
Family day. We either have lunch at my mother’s place or at my mother inlaw. Or all together at the restaurant. And after that, a movie at home!

WHAT IS THE TOURISTIC THING YOU LOVE TO DO HERE?
Terraço italia! It’s really not a trendy place but the view is amazing. I even organized one of my birthdays there. We had so much fun!