Around the World With Carlos Souza
Carlos Souza’s new book, #Carlos’s Places, originated from our current golden age of social media.
“I already worked with Assouline on three books,” says Souza, who is currently the worldwide brand ambassador and vice president of public relations at Valentino. “In between the meetings for those books, I showed [the publishing house’s co-founder] Martine Assouline my Instagram account because she asked, ‘What’s Instagram?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s a wonderful little photo platform with friends that can help you connect with everyone.’ I showed her how to do it, and she went into my account and saw all of my beautiful pictures. At this point she said, ‘Carlos, you have some incredible material, lets do a book together.’ And that’s the way it was born.”
A lively hybrid of a travelogue and a reference book, #Carlos’s Places chronicles Souza’s haut monde lifestyle over the past three and a half years via his vibrantly filtered Instagram photos. Organized by his chronological calendar year, Souza not only gives us a pictorial glimpse into his enviable schedule (some of the places he regularly frequents for work and leisure include the tranquil spas of Hangzhou, the sandy beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the celebrity-laden award show red carpets in Los Angeles, the snow-capped mountains of Gstaad, and the piazzas of Rome) but also provides us with thoughtfully written recommendations for each respective city. Everything from hotels, bars, museums and shopping is accounted for.
“There are so many facets of a travelling experience—you arrive in a city, you don’t know where to go, what to do, and you want to know where the best restaurants are,” he says. “So I hope people will like [the book] and also find it useful.”
As for us readers, should we expect another book of his delightful exploits in three and a half years’ time? “Absolutely!” he says with a laugh. “I’m so ready for book number two.”
#CARLOS’S PLACES COMES OUT TOMORROW, OCTOBER 9, 2014 FROM ASSOULINE.
