"Cheers, guys," Brazilian singer-actor Seu Jorge said as he clinked glasses with designer Rachel Roy. And the two had every reason to celebrate, as the fruits of their collaboration, a Brazil-themed clothing collection, is now on sale at Macy's.
The colorful clothing, shoes, jewelry and bags was inspired by the "effortless confidence" Roy felt when she visited Jorge at his home and interacted with the local women. "I think whenever you’re in a different environment that’s tropical, the clothes start to shed," she said of the way she dressed on her trip. Jorge added, explaining the biggest difference between style in the United States and Brazil, "Less clothes." He elaborated, "Brazil is really hot and people wear shorts, flip-flops and bikinis a lot. I think bikinis are a Brazilian specialty."
While the collection does not include bikinis (unfortunately), it does include a printed dress that was inspired by Jorge's favorite homegrown plant. The black and white strapless number is also Roy's most beloved piece from the collection. "I love it. I wear it on weekends riding bikes with my kids, and I actually wore it to a gala... when other people had beaded dresses on," she said.
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Having the confidence to wear a cotton dress to a fancy New York event is what the whole collaboration between Roy and Jorge is really about. Of his two style-loving daughters, Jorge says, "I want my kids to express themselves doing what they want to do... if she wants to paint her hair, paint it. If it doesn't look good and you don't like it, paint it again." This kind of parenting is something they both share. On the T-shirt and blue crochet skirt Roy's 12-year-old daughter loves from the collection, Roy said, "She felt so good in it and so cool... when she's around her little judgmental friends she feels confident." Jorge added, "Believe in yourself, trust in yourself, care about yourself. That's the message inside this collection."
Is there a future collaboration for Rachel Roy and Seu Jorge, perhaps in his chosen medium? Roy laughed, "I took piano and guitar and no. The answer is no [I can't play an instrument]." While playing an instrument may be the only thing Roy can't do, she may have started something here. "You gave me a good idea," Jorge joked, "Next time I will invite her to sing a song." We'll definitely tune in.
Want more? Take a peek at our gallery below for some of our favorite pieces from the collection and be sure to check out Stylelist on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest.
