zoukcaribe - Carlos Soares

As a result of this success, he began pursuing design full-time, and his talents soon drew the attention of major clients like General Motors, in the USA. In 2005 he founded another company, Vintage World, to offer his unique product designs bearing a retro aesthetic; in doing so, Carlos effectively introduced the nostalgia craze to South America and his products became must-haves. Vintage World has had positive coverage from national television programs and publications, including “A Noite é uma Criança” , “Ana Maria Braga”, and magazines/newspapers, such as: Veja, Scrapbooking, Smack, Vegetarianos, Casa Claudia, Casa e Jardim, Vejinha, Jornal da Tarde, Folha de Sao Paulo, Revista Caras, Decorar mais por Menos, just to mention some!
His achievements have earned numerous honors from the Brazilian Academy of Art, Culture, and History, of which he is also a member, and his work frequently exhibits in venues all over the world, among them Grand Central Station in New York City, the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Museu Histórico do Exército in Rio de Janeiro, El Museo Metropolitanoin Buenos Aires, and the China Import & Export Fair in Guangzhou.
If you want to learn more about his career, please refer to the info below.

Graduated in Parobe Technical School in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Carlos da Rocha Soares participated in the Hippie Cultural Movement early 70’s and in 1977 moved to Sao Paulo State to the artistic community renowned town known as Embu das Artes, where he then established an atelier studio for 5 years, where he met and got acquainted with the best designers and artists from Brazil and worldwide.

In 1982, he moved to Sao Paulo, the major business city in South America. At that time, he started working as a product designer for his own company Magic Company Inc, playing a leading role introducing the incense culture to Brazil, a country where this segment had been unknown until then.

MAGOS PACKAGE, launched in 1986; GNOMO INCENSE COLLECTTION, launched in 1990; ZODIAC SIGN INCENSE, launched in 1991.

He was also responsible for many other blockbusters in this segment, such as Magic Company incense case, which contributed on the market and was highlighted by Design and Package Yearbook Publication in Brazil in the year of 1992.

In parallel, Carlos Soares started doing business in India, establishing an incense plant in Southern India ( Bangalore ).

After further studying graphicand product design at Escola Panamericana de Artes, he started creating and exporting customized suitcases, hatboxes, and chests to the American market right after arriving back in Brazil, in 1999, exploring the “Golden age of Travel” and vintage style, revolutionizing the Brazilian market with these unique products.

His collection has been valuable in many ways. He soon drew the attention of General Motors, the iconic American automotive company. General Motors commissioned him to design a special collection of accessories for its Corvette retro line in 2004 and 2005, subsequently displaying his work at its headquarters in the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.

After having received many proposals for working in partnership with some Chinese companies as a designer for developing their products, Carlos took advantage of the currency issues, and transferred his production from Brazil to China, and there he worked as a designer for some companies, participating in several fairs and exhibitions ( such as international Export Commodity Fair, also knows as CantonFair, in 2007 2008, 2009, pictures below ). From then on, the products became very successful, influencing the market and creating a new trend, which can be noticed on the streets of major cities in the world, such as New York City, Sao Paulo and Paris.

He has participated in many expositions in Brazil and overseas, having the opportunity to express his artwork and launching new trends. Some of the expositions are "Mes Internacional da Mulher" ( Women's International Month ) in 2011, “Art with Chocolate”, in 2007, Mostra Nacional de Artes Plásticas ( Internationalexposition of Plastic Arts ), in 2007, and many other, such as Bicentenary Medal in Argentina, O’Higens Medal in Uruguai with a trophy as a designer, Exposicao das 3 Bandeiras, in Uruguay, just to mention some.

He has also been awarded many times with different medals and titles, such as Commendor from the first Institution for Emperor of Brazil in September of 2006 by the Brazilian Academy of Art, Culture and History; also by the congregation of the Noble Knights of Sao Paulo, in the year of 2001. The Brazilian Academy of History, by the Government of the State of Alagoas has also honored Carlos with a Commander title, 50 Years of the Peace forces from ONU from the Brazilian Peace force, just to mention some.

He was also given the title of Honorary Degree by InstitutoSuperior de Educacao e Cultura ( Cultural and Educational Superior Institute ) in the field of Plastic Arts in the year of 1997, and is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Arts, Culture and History in Brazil.

Carlos focused on designs influenced by nostalgia and retro sensibilities. In 2005, he established a second company to showcase his products in this vein, VintageWorld, which effectively introduced this aesthetic to the South American market. His work quickly proved popular. Vintage World products became must-haves for an international clientele that went beyond the every day consumer to encompass brands, magazines, and television programs.

He created, throughout his career, entirely new products to offer under its umbrella. As a result of his efforts, one can constantly notice his products present in some of Brazil’s largest newspapers, including Gazeta Mercantil, O Estado deS. Paulo, Jornal da Tarde, and Folha de Sao Paulo, magazines ( Veja, Casa Claudia, Decorar mais por Menos, Caras, Revista Vegetarianos, etc ) and tv shows ( "A note é uma crianca"and "Ana Maria Braga").

His contribution and achievements throughout the duration of his career have placed him into the realm of the extraordinary, where he is considered an expert by his peers and enjoys sustained national and international acclaim.

If you want to check out more information on some of other Carlos Soares's creations and artwork, please checkout our "MEDIA" menu page above and hit the "The Genious Behind Vintage World" icon.