Name: Erika Palomino
American Counterpart: Nina Garcia meets Kate Lanphear
M.O: A few years ago, I’m told, Erika was the authority on fashion in Brazil–designers would even wait until she’d arrived before they would start their show. Her star has faded slightly, but she’s still one of the major players in the industry. She got her start at newspaper Folha de São Paulo, and worked there for seventeen years before launching her own site, which has become one of the go-to destinations for all things fashion in Brazil. She’s also written two books on fashion and is known for her “rock n’ roll” style–plus she’s in the running to become one of the judges on Brazil’s Next Top Model. Busy lady!