Cara Santana Chose To Be Her Own Stylist For Fashion Week
Being in the public eye, and someone who is often seen on red carpets, usually requires the assistance of a team of professionals—from fashion styling to makeup and hair—to prep for photo ops that will ultimately be splashed all over the internet. As the saying goes, it takes a village! So, why would actress Cara Santana forgo a fashion stylist for one of the busiest times of the year, aka New York Fashion Week? For the first time in four years, Santana decided to challenge herself to take back creative control of her personal style.
"Self expression is so important to me as an actress," Santana told BAZAA.com, "because it’s so inherent to my work. I think for me, styling myself, I utilized the tools I implement for character building to create an identity for each look based on the event, the designer, etc. So, I was really able to take ownership of all my looks and express myself completely independently of someone else’s perspective. I’ve always had someone to rely on and help build each look, but solely relying on myself gave me the control to creatively think about what to communicate. I took my fashion power back!"
Of course, there's many perks to working with a stylist, namely less work for the person being styled. In the past Santana has teamed up with Meave Riley, who is also known for her work with Hailey Baldwin, as well as Mariel Haenn who styles Jennifer Lopez and Cara Delevingne.
"A stylist is responsible for every detail, from finding the right accessories and shoes to the overall vision, the tailoring and just logistics in general. It all falls on them, so it's a lot of work I don't have to worry about. They also typically have such great relationships with designers, so they can finesse your favorite options and dial in your look very seamlessly."
Not to mention the real vision a fashion stylist can bring to a look. "This is their world and they are so tuned into it and having someone with such a great vision can take so much pressure off of yourself to look perfect for every red carpet moment," Santana explains, "but with that said, I think that can, in excess, be a con, because you can lose your sense of self and what you like."
So what was Santana's approach to being the star and the stylist? "From looking through look books, making selects, styling with accessories and everything in between—it was all me going with my instincts. It was a lot more work than I was used to though, you’re reliant on your own relationships and having to navigate the fashion world. I have so much respect for stylists and how much goes into perfecting each look! It is a job and an art—and they do it so well!"
Below, Santana takes us through her process for each individual look.
"I initially chose a lavender version of this dress for the Cinq a Sept show, but only the black was available so I made the best of it. This was for a day event, I wanted it to feel effortless and like a chic downtown girl on a Sunday. I paired the look with a square toe kitten Balenciaga heels (from my own closet) and a bright yellow Tom Ford bag for some contrast. It felt youthful and elevated at the same time."
"This set is vintage Burberry, I received it from the last movie I filmed. It's a few sizes too big and I wanted to create some shape since I have a petite frame, which is why I paired it with a black bra and kept the shirt open. I didn’t want it to swallow me so I added Giueseppi Zanotti heels to keep things long and lean. The chain added some flavor for my night in Brooklyn with Pyer Moss. I felt edgy and cool, while still feeling sexy and feminine."
"I had an event and nothing I felt really excited to wear! I am launching a collection with Kohl’s and I thought this would be the perfect time to debut a look. This suit is one of my favorites. It’s chic and cool, can be dressed up with heels or down with sneakers. I'm really into navy this fall. This menswear vibe feels very sexy. I paired it with a navy boot from The Row for the perfect monochrome ensemble."
"I was in a 'I just want to feel cozy' mood. I needed comfort clothing! I loved the chunky knit and paired it with a sexy see-through knit pant for another monochromatic moment at the Sally Lapointe show. It was very effortless and easy, but it still felt polished."
"Alejandra’s clothing feels very romantic and I love how she injects her Spanish heritage into her line. Her palettes are so colorful and fun. I wanted to honor that when I attended her presentation, so I added a bold red boot to coordinate with my red dress, and giving some weight to the whimsical dress."
"I definitely had a theme and narrative this fashion week. Navy and nude, satin and silk, lush fabrics and this Tibi look fit right in. It feels a little more mature than most of my looks, but I tried to add a youthful twist with ankle boots and my hair/makeup. Glam is a huge part of all of my looks and this one in particular had a geometric eye so it was good juxtaposition with a more conservative look."
"Staying true to my neutral narrative for the Proenza Schouler show, but this time it was about the fabric and textures. I liked the heavier fabric for this utilitarian look—and a pointed pump was just what it needed to balance the masculine shirt. It was quite conservative but cool at the same time."
"This is my version of the 'model off duty' look for a 5’4 non-model. I balanced bright yellow leather joggers with a sexy crop top. And who doesn’t love running around the city and never having to worry about being uncomfortable because you're in sneakers? Done and done."
"I ended the week with this look which I absolutely loved it. The mix of the strapless dress which typically feels like such girly silhouette mixed with the boxy blazer that feels so masculine is really reflective of my aesthetic. Tonally, the color went with my fashion story for the week, and I just loved how the look came life with the glam. I felt really sexy in it and also strong, which, as a woman, is the perfect contrast."
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