Chat with model Dagliê Santos in New York Central Park

"If Wonderland does exist in our world, it is NYC with pure excitement and endless possibilities," model Dagliê Santos declares while taking a walk in New York Central Park with photographer Nestor Correa and stylist Tony B.

Dress, Piacakece (stylist supplied). Shoes, Coutgo (stylist supplied). Necklace & bracelets, Syd Accessories.

Dagliê Santos is a Brazilian model. Her model curriculum shows a vast range of adaptability. She has worked in seven different countries on three different continents. In addition to her successful work as a model, she is a violinist, including in her curriculum as a musician a highly diversified musical portfolio, including weddings in China and Brazil, Electronic Music Festivals in Brazil, Also she was a medalist in the Olympics of Math in Brazil. And on August 16th, 2022, she graduated in Law!

Dress, Haleia. Necklace & bracelets, Syd Accessories.

There is a high chance that right now, you are anticipating the story of another privileged girl. Well, not this time. This story is not of a lucky girl, but a very hard-working one.

Dagliê Santos left her hometown, called Joaçaba, in the countryside of the state of Santa Catarina, South Brazil, in 2016. All she had at that time was 50 dollars in her pocket, herself, and that kind of blind courage that you only see in two types of people: First, the crazy ones; Second: the ones that bring about inspiration and make us believe life is still magical.

Dress, Haleia. Necklace & bracelets, Syd Accessories.

Let’s have a chat with Dagliê Santos.

Harper’s Bazaar: Dagliê, which one are you? The crazy one or the inspiration?

DAGLIÊ SANTOS: Every day is inspiration. One day is the crazy one or weirdo. So, I guess they are 2 sides of the same person. (smile)

Dress, Beauté Comme Toi.

Harper’s Bazaar: Now residing in New York City and achieving a successful international model career, how did you reach the impossible?

DAGLIÊ SANTOS: I would say you need to develop resilience at first. Don’t think it will be easy, because it definitely won’t. How did I get this far? Seeking the lesson in each challenge. And falling in love with the process of improving myself. Also, you got to learn how to be strong enough to look at yourself in a realistic way. What are your strengths and weakness? What are your mistakes and your right decisions? It’s painful to look inward with cold honesty. But no one can stop you after this analysis.

Harper’s Bazaar: What do you love the most about your work?

DAGLIÊ SANTOS: I love the gift of working with many talented and creative people, like the extraordinary team that brought to life this editorial.

Harper’s Bazaar: What have you learned from working in the fashion industry?

DAGLIÊ SANTOS: Speaking of beauty standards, I deeply understood how beauty is an open concept and is socially constructed. There is no absolute right or wrong. It is all cultural – the meaning of beauty changes accordingly to space and time. The same color, skin, style, body type, and hairstyle that is beautiful in one country are condemned in the other.

Dress, Beauté Comme Toi.

For example, in countries like Brazil, likewise here in the USA, tan is appreciated as “sexy, healthy, desirable.” People proudly exhibit a tan body and even do artificial tanning. We buy make-ups that will slightly make a tan effect.

Well, I worked in the Chinese beauty industry too. Chinese beauty ideal sees tan as the apocalypse. Tan over there means a lower social level. The less sun on your skin, the more affluent and hotter you look.

This is only one example.

Dress, Beauté Comme Toi.

Harper’s Bazaar: Tell us more about this fashion shoot.

DAGLIÊ SANTOS: Duality and Opposite are concepts that have always fascinated me. For this editorial, I challenged my team to combine two opposite elements: Asia’s beauty ideal, primarily yin, feminine, soft, delicate, and balanced. On the other hand, the overwhelming yang and daring energy that represents NYC with the undeniable attraction the city has for the unexpected.

We named the character I interpreted as Alice. She lives in a magic world where everything is possible. She looks with curiosity and excitement at the world around her.

China’s beauty ideal reflects a fairytale, a fantasy world. Its feminine and delicate style seeks magic. But speaking about magic… Don’t you remember a city in the other half of the world where they say everything is possible? The lights are so bright at night that it looks like a dream. If Wonderlanddoes exist in our world, it is NYC with pure excitement and endless possibilities.

Dress, Beauté Comme Toi.

Photographer: Nestor Correa @nestorvisions
Model: Dagliê Kelly Santos @imdagliesantos
Stylist: Tony B. @tonytheestylist
Makeup Artist: Heloisa Evangelista @lolokamakeup
Assistant Makeup Artist: Zee Livermore @zeeluv999
Hairstyle: Cami Compton @camicompton
Accessories: Jasmine @syd_accessories

Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam