SAO PAULO–Even before arriving at her show, and certainly before the clothes came out, I could tell that Gloria Coelho is one of the city‘s most respected designers: It was nearly impossible getting a ticket, the crowd was far more sophisticated and chockfull of socialites than regular, and Coelho started the show a good hour and fifteen minutes late.

But once the show did finally get underway, it all made sense. Coelho‘s strong stylistic perspective, and sophisticated design sensibility clearly mark her as one of the most experienced and developed designers in the industry here.

For her Fall 2012 collection, the vibe was minimalist and sculptural. The jackets had rounded shoulders, the dresses sported flourishes of voluminous fabric, and the evening gowns were slit through with cut outs or structured blocks of silk. Coelho mostly stuck to a subdued palette of black, beige, camel and grey, but her playful inventiveness shone in the red gown’s appliqued lip design, as well as in the jacket designed with straps on the inside, enabling the wearer to sport it almost like a cape or backpack–one of our favorite looks out of the whole collection.

Photos: Zé Takahashi / Ag. Fotosite