“I don’t measure success by money. I measure it by waking up every day excited to create. When you love your work, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Carla Manuel, 2026
four places, one line of work
1
Born and raised in Brazil. Her grandmother taught her to sew clothes for her dolls; her mother, without meaning to, taught her how an outfit is put together. She grew up dancing, swimming, surfing and travelling, curious about everything beyond her own surroundings.
2
Fashion design at FIDM, then years of designing and travelling, drawing from other cultures and ways of life. She owned a boutique in Los Angeles and supplied designs to Fred Segal — the store that defined California cool — and to Matti D in Del Mar.
3
More than twenty-five years ago she moved south. After designing for other companies she founded her own line and named it Kites: one-of-a-kind pieces, couture gowns, small timeless collections, and a lifelong habit of rescuing beautiful cloth.
4
In 2017 she opened the Kites atelier at 348 South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach, where she still cuts and sews every piece and sees clients by appointment — styling them, fitting them, and making the one dress that exists only for them.
in her words
“What I love most isn’t simply selling clothes — it’s styling my clients and helping them discover pieces that truly reflect who they are. My clients come to me because they trust my eye, and I trust my instincts as a designer.”
“I’ve never been interested in copying trends or designing for mass appeal. I believe everyone has their own personal style, and I love helping people find theirs rather than dressing them to look like everyone else.”
“I pay attention to people, to beauty, and to the little signs life gives us. I’ve always trusted my intuition and the energy I feel, and I think that has influenced both my life and my work as a designer.”
Photographs in Lisbon courtesy of SD Voyager.
facts
The quickest way to meet her is an appointment at the atelier — or a message on Instagram, which is where the new pieces appear first.
