Fernando Noriega and the difference between Mexican men and those from L.A.

Like many of the most talented actors in Mexico, Fernando Noriega went looking for success in Los Angeles, the city in ​​where he actually lives. After playing in various TV Azteca novelas, American films and series such as Morir en Martes, he currently participates in Bajo el Mismo Cielo, a production by Telemundo / NBC Universal. For the las six years he has lived in the United States, and he has been very influenced by the L.A. style., therefore in September he decided to pursue his passion for fashion and launch Lord & Animal, an online store for men who “wear blazers or suits, but are not afraid to more edgy, hipster or boho approach.” This is what Fernando has to say about the fashion world.

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¿Por qué decidiste abrir una tienda de accesorios? 

What made you decide to open your accessories store?

I had always wanted an alternative business that had nothing to do with what I’ve been doing for almost 15 years, that is acting. Since I can remember, i had an interest towards fashion. I created www.lordandanimal.com (now shipping to several countries around the world), with the initial idea was to make suiting accessories , ties, boutonnieres, bow ties, pins, sunglasses, watches, tie clips and belts; Now I have incorporated to the webpage some suits and in the near future I plan to add more clothes in general. Although the site has been launched a few months ago, we already have some notable clients such as Joleen Garnett, the stylist of the The Voice.

Since when you have an interest in fashion?

Since I was very young! I don’t even think I was conscious about it.I remember on my school years, whenever they made any kind of awards, I always won the”best dressed”. My family would have rather me winning the best student one, but I think since then I had already that interest.

How would you describe L.A.’s men’s style?

At the beginning I did not quite understand much about vibes or the lifestyle here even though everyone talked about how wonderful this place is. Then gradually, I fell in love with this city, the style you see everywhere, the restaurant concepts, hotels, bars, and above everything, the fashion. Los Angeles is the city where the most beautiful people in the world come to try their luck, working as models, singers or actors. You can see walking down the street spectacular women and very good looking men with a very casual, effortless look but at the same time very edgy and bohemian. It’s a city where besides the entertainment industry, it gathers the best stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and hairstylists from the industry.

What is your favorite look you’ve seen a man in L.A.?

The most common look on the streets – which I really enjoy watching – are the “lumbersexual”: long beards with short hair on the back and with a longer fringe on the front. As for clothes, honestly is very edgy, asymmetric garments, very tight pants with loose fitting  sweatshirts and a hat. There are also many tattoos, to complement the look. Everything that I have integrated into the store has been influenced by these people. It has a very L.A. vibe.

How do you think Mexican men are different from this style?

I feel that  Mexican people do not take risks, they rather keeping it classic and don’t go outside the norm. Although I also believe that recently, there is more interest by men for personal care and having a characteristic style.

If you had to say which has been the best look you’ve seen this year, what would it be?

I love the suits! therefore the reason why I started Lord & Animal, I feel that there are not so many options for meto put on a good outfit besides the classic and conservative suit. One of the best looks in my opinion,was a suit that I wore to the Latin American Music Awards red carpet, it was black with gold, with embroideries around the shoulders and the trousers. That is one of the most popular and requested suits at Lord & Animal.

Fernando in the Latin American Music Awards, with a Lord & Animal suit.

What is the worst you have seen men wearing?

This city is well known for the fact that most people work out a lot, everyone eats very healthy and organic, so it’s very common to see people in sportswear.What I see a lot and do not like are the long socks with shorts, soccer player style.

Do you think men’s clothing can be sexy / openly sexual?

I think there are definitely clothing, hairstyles, and certain elements such as tattoos that might help the sexy factor, but I think the most important of all is the attitude: You can put all the elements that I just mentioned to several different men and you will not get the same results. Black, for example, is a basic that accentuates all features. My favorite look is a wore down blazer, skinny jeans, a t-shirt and very in your face sunglasses … This can get anyone ready to go!

What do you think of man buns? Do you think its for everyone?

The man buns are everywhere. In fact I proposed that haircut for the character I played in Bajo el mismo cielo because I saw it so often here in L.A., it had very positive reviews, many people still write to me saying how much they loved my man bun. The truth is, I think there is a lot of differences regarding hairstyles between Mexico and L.A. Here men don’t have so much prejudices and give the same importance to their look the same as a women would do.

What is a look that you would never wear?

I love super long t-shirts! I feel that for a certaintype of body  can be very flattering and look amazing, but hey do not work for me. You have to be very tall to pull them off.

Fernando Noriega’s style rules:

1. If you are going to wear skinny jeans, get something looser for the top.
2. If you are going to invest in very expensive brands, look for things that wont get out of fashion very quickly. I prefer high quality basics and for the very trendy pieces ,that you will actually wear only 3 times, I recommend to find the more affordable version.
3. I love changing  the shoelaces to my shoes, they give you a different vibe in just one second.
4. Inspire your look on how you feel. I believe that fashion is a way of expression as variable as our humor and tastes.
5. Accessorizing a suit is a must, choose one or two maximum: tie clip,pocket square, pin or boutonniere. There are men who like to wear are all at the same time but in my opinion you get lost under all the things going on.

Follow Fernando on Instagram and visit his store Lord & Animal aquí.