As one of Instagram’s biggest crushes, Manu Ríos’s path to global stardom has led him from his hometown in Calzada de Calatrava in Spain to a burgeoning acting career in the breakout Netflix drama Elite and a role in the new Pedro Almodóvar short Strange Way of Life. Along the way, the 24-year-old mega-influencer has become a fashion It boy with memorable appearances at the last two Met Galas and head-turning looks on red carpets the world over.
It just so happens that his fortunes have risen in tandem with his longtime friend Marc Forné, a Barcelona native building an impressive profile of his own. After getting his start in modeling, the 26-year-old has lately enjoyed an equally buzzy rise as a sought-after creative director and personal stylist. Along with Ríos, Forné also works with the singer Troye Sivan, another fashion fan-favorite.
Now the two have joined forces on the streetwear brand Carrer. Taken from the word for “street” in their hometown, Carrer is a small but nimble collection that zeroes in on their personal style away from the limelight and in more casual settings. The first collection drops today, with a knitwear capsule coming next month.
Vogue caught up with Ríos and Forné to talk about Carrer, their fortuitous friendship, and the simultaneous pressures and freedom of viral fame.
Vogue: How did you two meet?
Manu Ríos: So basically, we go way back to probably 10 years ago. We were teenagers.
Marc Forné: I [was born in] ’97 and Manu [was born in] ’98.
Ríos: I was still living in my hometown when I saw Marc’s Instagram profile. I thought he was really cool, so I sent him a DM, thinking that hopefully I could be his friend. We started talking and months later we met at an event in Spain and had a nice connection and clicked.
Forné: It’s super random; from when we met to today, our friendship has been everywhere. We started working on one thing and then another. Then Manu started with his whole acting career and I was styling….
Marc, how did you start styling Manu? Was that a natural evolution, or did you have a serious conversation about it to kick things off?
Forné: I’d been going to shows and working in the industry for a long time; it just made sense for me to help him. When Manu started having so many public events and appearances it wasn’t like, “I’m going to be your stylist”, it was more like, “I’m going to help you out with this.”
Ríos: Before working with Marc, I was dressing myself. But at a certain point I was like, “Fuck, I love working with you, we’re having so much fun. And I also love your vision and I think you really take me to another level of fashion.” I learn so much from him. So we kept on working together.
Having said that, what came first with Carrer: the idea of wanting to collaborate on something and going from there, or the idea itself?
Forné: We wanted to collaborate on a project where we could express our vision in fashion ready-to-wear. We basically wanted to dress ourselves with our own pieces, and we had the same vision. It went so many places—one idea led to another and another. But it did grow from this interest in creating something together.
How did you both collaborate on the look of the pieces? There are cargo pants and work jackets, and on the tag it says, “Reworked classics.” What made casual pieces like these feel like the proper route?
Ríos: We basically wanted to create something to fit in with our own lifestyles. We travel so much, and at least for this collection, we didn’t want to limit ourselves.
Forné: We both love workwear and vintage pieces, so we started going into our wardrobes and picking out our favorite things. We analyzed what we actually wear everyday, and we made those things lighter materials, and finished the pieces exactly how we wanted them. This capsule, which is very small, is the beginning of [a larger project], and in November we’re going to launch knitwear. The idea is to grow this wardrobe of off-duty clothes that represent us.
Ríos: We’re trying to leave many doors open so in the future we can go in whatever direction we want.
