BRAZIL SENDS TEN BRANDS TO MILAN FASHION WEEK

Brazilian brands presented their collections in Milan this week as part of "Brazilian Sustainable Fashion in Milan," an initiative by the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), delivered through the Texbrasil program with support from Abrimos, the Brazilian Association of Sustainable Fashion. The show took place on September 22 at the Chiostri di San Barnaba, a set of historic cloisters in central Milan, during the official calendar of Milan Fashion Week; a business showroom connecting the brands to international buyers ran on September 23 and 24.

Alina Amaral, Ana de Jour, Camila Machado Ateliê, Celeste, Ludimila Heringer, Lybethras, Natural Cotton Color, Proposta Verde, Val Valadares and Villa Dharma are all founded and led by women, and were selected specifically for their sustainability attributes. Together they sent 110 looks down the runway for an audience of more than 200 B2B buyers, journalists, critics and trendsetters, under the title "Craftsmanship and Culture: The New Luxury."

What each brand actually brought to that runway varied considerably, which is part of the point: this isn't one aesthetic standing in for an entire country. Alina Amaral's AVESSO DO CÉU drew on the landscape of Brazil's northeastern sertão, worked in natural fabrics, traditional lace and embroidery. Ana de Jour's PÉTALAS built fluid, layered silhouettes from organza and silk satin. Camila Machado's ALMAzônia grew directly out of the designer's own experience in the Amazon rainforest. Ten different answers to the same brief: raw material, craft, identity and new ways of producing, translated into ten distinct points of view.

"This initiative represents much more than a simple showcase for Brazilian brands," said Fernando Pimentel, Abit's executive director. "It's an opportunity to show the international market how Brazil can combine creativity, innovation and quality with a growing commitment to sustainable practices across the whole supply chain." ApexBrasil's business director, Maria Paula Velloso, called Milan Fashion Week "a strategic platform to increase the visibility of Brazilian brands in international markets." Abrimos president Francisca Vieira put it more simply still: Brazilian fashion, she said, represents what the world wants and what the planet needs.

It's also the first time Brazil has organized an action of this scale in Milan entirely on its own. Alongside the runway, a further 23 Brazilian brands — three of them, Ludimila Heringer, Lybethras and Villa Dharma, showing in both programs — present at White Milano from September 24 to 27, through Fashion Label Brasil, ApexBrasil's separate partnership with the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers (ABEST).

Sources & further reading

• Texbrasil (Abit / ApexBrasil), "Abit presents a preview of the Brazilian fashion set to hit the Milan runways"
• Brasil Inovador, "Moda sustentável brasileira ganha passarela inédita na Semana de Moda de Milão"
• Friend of the Earth, "Brazilian Fashion Takes Centre Stage in Milan: Friend of the Earth Certified Brands on the Runway"
• Seu Dinheiro, "Semana de Moda de Milão: conheça as 10 marcas brasileiras que levam moda sustentável à Itália"
• Jornal Fashion, "Moda brasileira ganha espaço em Milão com apoio da ApexBrasil e foco em sustentabilidade"