Move over Suri Cruise! There's another mini-fashionista in town! We're talking about the 5-year-old, Monterrey-born, Laguna Beach-raised Alonso Mateo, who's become an Instagram sensation in the past year.
It all started when his mother, Luisa Fernanda Espinosa, a freelancer fashion stylist, decided to post pictures of her gorgeous son in her own Instagram account. Over 127,000 followers later, she had to create Alonso's own account, and share his pictures there. He now has almost 5,000 followers.
Ever since he was a baby, Luisa enjoyed dressing Alonso Mateo up, and as he's growing up, he's developing his own personal style. He loves combat boots and sunglasses, and recently had a bow tie obsession after he saw FUN's "We are young" and loved Nate Ruess' (FUN's lead singer) outfit. Every day for two weeks he asked to wear a bow tie to school and a suit on the weekends.
Luisa explained to KNSTRCT that she first noticed Alonso's interest in style when she "would put a scarf or a beanie on him and he wouldn't mind. After a while, when he was 3 almost 4, he started asking me for bow ties and suits!"
She also sat down with Joy Adaeze from joylovesfashion.com and confessed the two pick his outfits together. "We pick outfits together. He asks in the mornings for a specific thing. This can vary from a bow tie, jeans, loafers, certain sneakers, a suit, etc."
As to his favorite brands: "He loves Little Marc Jacobs, Crewcuts, American Apparel, Dior, Kitson Kids, and All Saints, but they recently closed the children's department. Nordstrom and Bloomingdales are the departments stores where I find good brands for him, too, like Peek and Diesel," revealed Luisa.
In a recent phone conversation, Alonso Mateo told The Cut, "I love suits, sneakers, and sunglasses. I like to dress like my dad, because he has cool suits." To accomplish that, his mom brings him to Kitson Kids, Dior, Gucci, Stella McCartney, Bon Point, Nordstrom, H&M, Dolce & Gabbana and Target, besides Alonso's favorite stores mentioned above. "As long as it's nice quality, I'll take it," she says.
Alonso gets his style from both his parents, since his mom has contributed to Harper's Bazaar Mexico and Latin America, and his father, José Agustín Valdés, is the owner and CEO of a private equity firm, and is always wearing nice suits that attract the eye of little Alonso. Through her fashion work, Luisa has kept tabs on every new and expensive high-end children's line. They shop together as a family.
After posting all the pictures of Alonso on her Instagram, many users backlashed at her parenting skills calling the kid "spoiled" and "materialistic." But Luisa defends her choices: "When we go shopping, if he wants loafers just like his daddy and I can afford them, I get them. We're fine raising our son. He's always polite, he's grounded, he's a sweet boy."
She added, "I don't know if it's because he's an only child and he's surrounded by so many grown-ups that he kind of wants to replicate what everybody around him is wearing?" she asks. "I don't think he really notices he's fashion forward. He's too young."
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