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BARCELONA, Spain — Actor Manu Rios and his longtime stylist Marc Forne are teaming up to launch Carrer, an apparel and accessory brand of “reworked classics” (also its tagline) inspired by vintage fashion and streetwear. The duo will serve as Carrer’s co-creative directors.
Although neither of the pair are formally trained designers, they are Gen-Z fashion stars with a massive social media influence. On Instagram, 24-year-old Rios, who is best known for his starring role on the Netflix series “Elite,” has nearly 11 million followers and 26-year-old Forne, who is also stylist to musician Troye Sivan, has 500,000.
The product lineup at Carrer — which means street in Catalan — consists of affordable, genderless and travel-friendly utilitarian pieces, not the attention-getting, social media-friendly fashions its founders are known for. Rios said the brand’s offering reflects how “Marc and I like to dress on a daily basis,” rather than their red carpet or street style-ready wares.
“We wanted to take all of these classics, all of these workwear, all of these basics, and all of these vintage pieces we have in our wardrobe and put them together to create a brand that not only represents us but a person who’s stylish but wants to live in comfort,” said Forne.
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For now, the label, which is backed by an unnamed Catalan-based minority investor, will sell direct-to-consumer through monthly drops of capsule collections in limited quantities. The first release, which launches on its website today, consists of €45 ($47) denim hats, €84 Henley shirts, €149 ripstop cargo pants and a €245 Harrington-inspired bomber made in Portugal. Next month, the label plans to launch knitwear, while next year, it will open distribution to retail partners and expand its product assortment with accessories.
“We aim to be a project that stands for good design and gathers a community of creative souls,” said Rios.
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