EDITION!

You inspire us
Otter is a wood-based digital project, and the multifaceted
Maria Carvajal is the woman behind it. By Eugènia Sendra
A decade of
vintage
SHOP
OF THE MONTH
Maria Carvajal is euphoric.
She studied audiovisual
communication as a way to give
shape to what she had going on in
her head and, after years of doing a
variety of jobs (including
saleswoman, scriptwriter, stylist
and digital strategist), she has
found the space and time for her
own project, alongside Mike San
Román. Just launched, Otter is a
platform for users dreaming of
made-to-measure wooden
furniture that can actually be
made. Carvajal says her
taste for carpentry comes
from her dad, and that Otter
started to take shape after
she spent four months
looking for someone who
could make a dining table
for her home. She likes
getting into the spirit of
projects, linking people,
making them feel cared
for. That’s why she
decided to share on a
blog what she’s
learned while
practising holistic
osteopathy. She’s a
zen freelancer who
speaks eloquently, and
says she’s turned 30 with her
head held high.
www.otter.es
GET THE LOOK!
STYLISH EYES
Carvajal favours Òptica Toscana –
more than 20 years of experience
and a great range (Provença, 247).
SIGNATURE SHOES
A fan of small labels, Carvajal loves
Deux Souliers shoes – find them at
Colmillo de Morsa (Flassaders, 12).
MARIA DIAS
RELATED PROJECTS
If the magazine Freunden von
Freunden visited her house, they
would come across designs by
local creators, such as lights from
Denoe Design.
GLASSES FOREVER
When it comes to glasses,
Carvajal opts for Mykita; when it’s
sunny, she wears her much-loved
Alfred Kerbs shades.
PERFECT DUETS
Carvajal likes robust, solid, Japanesestyle
furniture, and the personality
that each object creates. In this case,
she was seduced by the burnt wood
table by Zach Dallman.
It was back in 2005 when Renier
Guerra opened one of Barcelona’s
rst shops dedicated to vintage
luxury goods. A lover of antiques
and one-off pieces, this Cuban
entrepreneur decided to baptise
his new space with the words they
used in his family to denote grace
and style when dressing, Le Swing.
The shop’s moved since then –
from the Raval neighbourhood to
the Born – and a second
emporium, Blow, has opened, but
Guerra and his partner Guiselle
Berntson are still doing the same
as they were a decade ago: selling
special, quality products that have
a story behind them. The two travel
regularly to Los Angeles and Paris,
and select each accessory and
piece of clothing one by one, from
brands such as YSL, Chanel and
Hermès (the Kelly bag is one of
their most sought-after articles).
Loyal clients wait with devotion for
new arrivals at Blow, which
focuses on pieces from the ’80s to
today, and Le Swing, the truly
vintage space, with stock that
dates from between the ’20s and
’80s. They change their products
each season, and the gamut of
styles and prices (from €20 to
€2,000) is wide-ranging. Guerra
insists you don’t need a lot of
money to dress with swing. –E.S.
LE SWING / BLOW
Rec, 16 / Bonaire, 6 (Born).
www.leswingvintage.com
Buy tickets & book restaurants at www.timeout.com/barcelona & bcnshop.com 31