For the third season in a row, Fashionista has covered Sao Paulo Fashion Week. Outside of the four main fashion weeks, Sao Paulo is proving to be an important one to follow–in our opinion. The fashion industry has been investing intensely in the emerging markets of the BRIC countries, and while China has been the Read more →
Sao Paulo Fashion Week may not be as big as New York or London or Paris or Milan (yet), but it’s gotten pretty substantial. In case you had misconceptions, Sao Paulo has way more to offer than bikinis and beachwear, but they definitely have a unique perspective on fashion that was exciting to take in. Read more →
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Sao Paulo Fashion Week for the first time. Despite still being in its infancy, it is definitely a legitimate event that deserves recognition for many reasons; but I did notice some marked differences between SPFW and NYFW, which I’m much more familiar with. Some examples: everything takes Read more →
Lea T. took to the runway in São Paulo Saturday night in celebration of Elle Brazil’s 24th anniversary–but her turn on the catwalk marked an important personal landmark in the model’s career as well: According to Made in Brazil blog’s Juliano Corbetta, this is Lea T’s first modeling job after undergoing sexual reassignment surgery.
While in Brazil for Sao Paulo Fashion Week, I had the strange experience of doing something that would be unthinkable in the United States: I went around asking young women about their breasts. Namely, if they were fake or not.
Let me explain: We heard a rumor that Brazilian models often had small implants dubbed “Brazilian Bs,” and that implants of this kind were pretty commonplace. Naturally, I asked around to see if this was a real thing. Again, I don’t need to explain the kind of shocked reaction I would have gotten in America–but in Brazil: NBD.
Actually, Brazilians couldn’t understand why I had been so shy to ask. And the general consensus? Most young women said that yes, “many” or even “most” of their friends have breast implants. They agreed that, unlike in the U.S. perhaps, most women in Brazil opt for smaller, more natural-looking implants. The reason for the rise of surgeries in Brazil is no secret:
SAO PAULO–Remember ravers? Well, Brazilian label Osklen sure does. The brand used the subculture as the main inspiration behind their fall 2012 collection. But before you start picturing oversized Jnco pants, and pacifier necklaces, note that these are not the raving clothes we remember (and wish we could forget?): This time, they are all grown up, high fashion–and eco-conscious.
Sure, there was a lot of neon, camo and brightly colored furry things (from purses, to hats, to sweaters), but there was also expertly tailored outerwear, filmy blouses and a digitized floral print that was decidedly 2012.
Of course, what else would you expect from designer Oskar Metsavaht, whose background is not in design or fashion–but snowboarding. Fun fact:
I went to Sao Paulo fashion week to learn about Brazilian fashion, and I was surprised and impressed with what I saw. (I was also tickled by some extreme looks that came down the runways–extreme looks are de rigueur on the runway and most folks don’t get to see them–and so I wrote a lighthearted humorous post about them. Some folks were amused, many were not. So it goes.)
Brazilian fashion, I learned, is much more than colorful printed beachwear and bikinis (though Brazil does both those things exceedingly well). Here are five Brazilian labels that should be on your radar. There are, of course, lots more to know about but here’s a start.
*My travel and accommodations for Sao Paulo fashion week, courtesy ABEST (Associação Brasileira de Estilistas).
**All photos: © Agência Fotosite/Zé Takahashi via FFW.com.br
While hurrying between shows at Sao Paulo fashion week last week, I nearly ran into Kecya Felix, a Brazilian stylist/designer, who was wearing what looked like a burqa (it’s actually a niqab and abaya) embellished with sequined interlocking Chanel “C”s and an iPad around her neck. A slide show played on the iPad–”Could Coco Chanel Create This Look?” one slide asked.
I approached Felix to ask what she was all about. She shook her head and pointed towards her boyfriend, American Ryan Donnelly, who was functioning as her voice for the ever growing throngs of showgoers who stopped, intrigued, to find out more about Felix and her provocative outfit.
“She’s doing a project about sexism in clothing and it’s going to involve visual art as well as a small collection of clothing,” Donnelly explained. “We went on a trip to the middle east where she bought this [abaya and niqab]–she didn’t create it. We bought it in Amman, Jordan.”
While Felix wouldn’t talk during her stunt at SPFW (she did the same thing at Fashion Rio) she sent over an email with her artist statement (written in the third person):
SAO PAULO–Wunderkind designer Pedro Lourenço (he’s just 21) presented his resort collection at Sao Paulo fashion week this past week. It’s his first resort collection and the first time he’s ever shown his designs in his hometown even though both his parents are designers there–he showed his first two collections in Paris to much critical acclaim.
Lourenço presented his collection a la runway shows of yore (and Tom Ford last year): in an intimate setting in the back room of a luxe hotel in Sao Paulo, Lourenço stood in the center of the room with a microphone and described each look in his collection, one model at a time. Occasionally Lourenço would forget a detail, and ask the model to come scurrying back and turn her around to show off a particular seam or fabric.
Of course, I was inferring all of this as Lourenço presented his collection in Portuguese (luckily he was on hand to translate later). But it was easy to tell just from looking at the clothes that they were a slight departure from his past two leather-heavy collections.
I just got back from Sao Paulo fashion week. I saw a lot of great clothes come down the runway. I also saw a lot of wacky out there clothes come down the runway. Sometimes the crazier the clothes and the styling, the more fun they are to watch. So here are the top 10 most out there looks from Sao Paulo fashion week.
**All photos: © Agência Fotosite/Zé Takahashi via FFW.com.br
SAO PAULO–Showgoers at Sao Paulo fashion week were greeted by a group of about a dozen protestors from non profit organization Educafro Brazil, who had chained themselves together in front of the Fundação Bienal (Sao Paulo fashion week’s official venue), to call for more black models on the catwalks in Brazil. While 12 protestors outside an event might not seem like enough to raise a stink, the story was all over Brazil’s papers and news sites for the rest of the week.
Brazil is known for its beautiful models almost than for its fashion. While Gisele, Brazil’s most famous model, didn’t walk in Sao Paulo fashion week this season (she walked last season for Colcci), Brazilian models Raquel Zimmerman, Daiane Conterato, Bruna Tenorio, and Viviane Orth walked countless shows. The pervading look of the models on the runways in Sao Paulo is undeniably blond, white, and European. As Educafro Brazil pointed out in their literature, the models do not reflect Brazil’s population, which is over 50% black.
SAO PAULO–Osklen’s spring 2012 was easily one of the standout shows of Sao Paulo fashion week. While Osklen has a US presence, and a store on Wooster Street in SoHo, I didn’t know much about the brand until I saw their show this past week. Their show show made me want to know more–and buy their clothes.
The label’s got a real urban sensibility–clean, simple yet sophisticated silhouettes in luxe materials–so their brick-and-mortar location on Wooster makes perfect sense. For spring, Osklen paid homage to African culture in Brazil, hence the title of the show: the Royal Black Collection. While Sao Paulo fashion week mandates that at least 10% of the models in each show are black, Osklen’s show opened with seven black models.
The collection was elegant and flowing and comfortable.
