Claudia Rivera doesn’t just get dressed. She builds a story. Some days, it starts with a statement coat. Other days, it’s a pair of earrings passed down through her family. Lately, it starts with a loafer. Not just any loafer, though. One that’s made to evolve.
Crafted in high-shine cherry red Arcadia leather, Dr. Martens’ Adrian Tassel Loafer is designed to change as you wear it. The more you move, the more it becomes yours. Over time, the finish scuffs down to reveal a silver-toned layer underneath. For Claudia, that aging process hits close to home. “I loved the balance between elegance and boldness,” she says. “It’s timeless, but not quiet. It has presence.”
Claudia is a multi-hyphenate that moves between mediums—photography, filmmaking, community organizing—with a creative lens shaped by her Peruvian roots and Parisian life. “My style is a mix of who I am,” she says. “Very French in some ways, but deeply Peruvian in others. Some days, my Peruvian side leads. Other days, the Parisian takes over. It all depends on how I feel.”
That emotional approach guides how she dresses, how she creates, and how she connects with others. Last year, she launched Lo Nuestro, a pop-up celebrating Latin American designers in Paris. “It was the first time I saw our community gather around fashion, memory, and shared identity in this city,” she says. “We’re still underrepresented here. So creating a space where people felt seen, even for a weekend, was huge.”
For the shoot, Claudia styled the original Doc’s Adrian Tassel Loafer in cherry red leather and the brand new Adrian Tassel Loafer in black and yellow. She paired with bold layers, rich fabrics, and details that nod to home: silhouettes inspired by folkloric music icons, textures that echo the skirts her grandmother wore, even the instinct to mix softness with structure. “I think I inherited that love for comfort-meets-drama,” she says. “My grandmother would wear joggers under her skirts to stay warm. High-level layering.”
The Adrian fits into that balance: formal, but not fussy. “It works when I want to feel strong and dressed-up—but also when I just need something grounded,” she says. “It changes with me.” Because for Claudia, “classic with an edge” isn’t just about fashion, it’s how she moves through the world. “It means honoring where you come from while refusing to be boxed in,” she says. “It means tradition, but on your terms.”
And that’s what the Adrian Tassel Loafer carries—with every step, scuff, and shift—layered with meaning, just like the woman wearing it.
Talent: Claudia Rivera
Photographer: Yiouli Itskou
Hair stylist: Maeva Gomes
Makeup artist: Claudia Berrios
Nail artist: Mademoiselle MBY