Having a Moment: Brazil

By Robert Cordero
January 21, 2010

Brazil

With a relatively stable government, abundant minerals, bountiful agricultural products, and sizable offshore oil discoveries made by Petrobras in 2007, Brazil is having a moment. Foreign investments are pouring in droves into the promising BRIC country and it is fast becoming known as much for its economic potential as its lascivious supermodels and talented athletes with godlike abilities on the soccer field.

As of late, the country's domestic fashion industry is just as noteworthy. As one of the first trendspotters to cover Brazilian fashion, Jason Campbell, editor-in-chief and my colleague at JC Report, a global style and trend publication, will certainly agree. He has been attending fashion weeks in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo each year since 2003 and over the years, he has discovered trends, promising talents and brands, and hot destinations before major press outlets. During his trip to Fashion Rio earlier this month, Campbell shared his takeaways from the winter 2010 collections.

Fabric Innovation

According to the jet-setting journalist, clothes from most global fashion weeks outside of the main four—New York, London, Milan and Paris—can seem derivative, but Brazil is striving to forge its own style signature, one marked specifically by fabric innovation. "The designers were not afraid to dazzle you with fabrics that seemed alive,” Campbell said. “The materials they used were slinky, glistening, glittery or iridescent. They had life and they were very innovative.”

For instance, designer Giulia Borges used shiny and brown plastic strips to create texture; Melk Z-da had geometric cutouts in a shiny beige dress, and New Order used large perforations in a series of metallic dresses (above, left, photo by Celso Pupo/FotoArena/LatinContent/Getty Images). Campbell took particular note of Coven (above, right, photo by Alvinho Duarte/FotoArena/LatinContent/Getty Images), however, stating: “They used a lot of lurex threading that really had a strong punctuating effect to the total look.”

While these designers manipulated materials, others preferred to use silhouettes and prints to make a statement. Walter Rodrigues’ soft and languid shapes of coats moved elegantly; Redley’s sportswear design lexicon was an amalgam of wild prints and color blocking, and Alessa used layers of lariats in a skirt to intensify the chromatic effects of the label’s prints.

Brazilian Brand Exports: Havianas, H.Stern, and more

These clever design techniques deserve to be lauded, but Brazil has also separated itself from the rest of the BRIC members in another, yet more significant way. Unlike China, India, and Russia, it has managed to produce numerous brands that have garnered global demand for their products.

Perhaps the world’s most famous flip-flops, Havaianas, are the warm weather footwear of choice for everyone from hipsters living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to sunbathers strolling on the beaches of Australia. “They have easy style currency and are affordable, so they can engage more people,” Campbell said. Melissa, another footwear brand, has collaborated with Vivienne Westwood and Zaha Hadid to design inexpensive, yet chic plastic shoes and is a hit among fashion editors and Hollywood starlets.

Osklen, an outdoorsy, casual lifestyle label with freestanding stores in New York, Tokyo, Rome, and Lisbon is another Brazilian export. While the brand is known for its environmentally conscious message, “it has also been able to craft a worldly language and has positioned itself on par with designer labels across the globe,” says Campbell. While sustainably minded folks are giving Osklen kudos, designers Isabel Capeto and Alexandre Herchcovitch’s quirky and colorful wares are being worn by the fashion forward crowd all over the world. Herchcovitch, for one, is carried at New York’s coolest style sanctum, Opening Ceremony and even has its own freestanding store in Tokyo. Isabel Capeto has seen her irresistibly cute dresses at A-list retailers such as Barneys in New York, Browns in London, and Colette in Paris.

Speaking of stores, H. Stern, the famous Brazilian jewelry brand, is in over 160 of them all over the world. As Brazil’s most luxurious export, “The brand celebrates the country’s gemstones and
minerals, which are essentially national products. They have been able to capture the Brazilian spirit through the stones and that’s why they have been successful,” Campbell said.

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Havaianas Brazil Flip Flops (buy it now price, price, $13.99)
Alexandre Herchcovitch Brush Print Hoody (starting bid, $26)
Melissa Scarfun Wedge (starting bid, $20)
H. Stern 18k Noble Gold and Diamond Ring (buy it now price, $6,299)
Isabel Capeto Hand Beaded Skirt (buy it now price, $325)

Brazil on eBay and Globally

Meanwhile on eBay, demand for Brazilian fashion items seems to have gone up over the past few months: In the period from September to November 2009, there was a 20 percent increase vs. previous months in the average selling price of items in the Clothing, Shoes and Accessories category with the listing term "Brazil." From October through December 2009, there was an 11 percent increase in quantity of items sold compared to the same period the previous year. The combination higher average selling prices and a growth in sold items led to a 27 percent year-over-year increase in general merchandise volume from September to December 2009.

Global attention to Brazil is likely to grow as well, considering that it will host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. In the meantime, to sample the best of Brazil, here are five products from its most in demand fashion, accessory, jewelry brands.

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