Over 300 people gather for the launch of Brazilian beachwear collections at El Corte Ingles in Portugal

On June 6 and 7, the El Corte Ingles stores in Lisbon and Gaia were invaded by Brazilian beachwear. Fashion shows were held at both stores to launch S/S collections from 12 Brazilian brands. The events were held by Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – the result of a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) – with the support of the Brazilian Bikini Shop, an online store.

The Texbrasil brands featured on the runway were Farm, Mar Rio, Rio de Sol, Lua Morena, Maryssil, Blue Man, EMI and Bikiny Society, in addition to Salinas, Triya, Haight and Larissa Minatto, members of Fashion Label Brasil, an export program run by Abest (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers) in which Apex-Brasil is also a partner.

Together, the shows at the Lisbon and Vila Nova Gaia stores brought together 300 guests, including VIP buyers, trade media and digital influencers. The events were held to the sounds of Brazilian singer Carla Casarim, with two Portuguese actresses taking to the runways: Dania Neto, in Lisbon, and Liliana Santos, in Vila Nova Gaia. The stars showed S/S looks from the brands, which are all on sale at El Corte Ingles stores in Portugal.

The Brazilian Embassy in Portugal also provided institutional support for the events. On the first day, Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado gave an opening speech, and with the Second Secretary of the Consulate General of Brazil in Porto, Alexandre Alvim Ribeiro, speaking on the second day.

According to Rafael Cervone, CEO of Texbrasil, the partnership with El Corte Ingles was essential to the success of the initiative, which represents further action in strengthening ties with the Iberian nation. “Brazil produces around 261 million beachwear items annually. In relation to exports, Portugal is one of our top three markets. This data shows how important actions like these are as well as the strength of our relations,” he says in closing.

And participating brands are already seeing the results of the initiative. Fabio Lehn, with the Maryssil brand, stated that he received three contacts from Portugal in the last week. “We have a very competitive price and I see many opportunities overseas. The publicity done at El Corte Ingles was extremely important for us to grow these contacts,” he says.

About Texbrasil

The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with textile and apparel industry companies to develop strategies for success in the global market. It has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export market, bringing in USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is conducted by Abit in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).

About Abit

Founded in 1957, the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit) is one of the most important organizations within the country’s economic sectors. It represents the productive force of 33,000 companies nationwide of every size, employing over 1.6 million workers and together generating annual revenues of US$ 36.2 billion.

About Apex-Brasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve its goals, Apex-Brasil executes a range of trade promotion activities aimed at promoting exports and adding value to Brazilian products and services abroad. These initiatives include prospective and trade missions, business talks, support for Brazilian companies to take part in major international fairs and visits by foreign buyers and tastemakers aimed at familiarizing them with Brazil’s production structure, among other business platforms which are also geared towards strengthening the Brazil brand.