Maredamare: Brazilian brands put on fashion show and close deals at beachwear event

From July 14 to 16, seven Brazilian beachwear brands and members of 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) – took part in the Maredamare show, held annually in Florence, Italy. Rio de Sol, Despi, Maryssil, Blueman, EMI Beachwear, Lua Morena e La Playa used the opportunity to network and prospect business, with sales done at the show along with sales expected over the next 12 months forecast to reach USD 218,000.

The brands showed their latest beachwear and resort launches to attendees of the event, which hosted the “A Tribute to Brazil” fashion show, paying homage to the country’s beachwear, with looks from the entire Brazilian delegation. During the fashion show, visitors, buyers and the local press got a firsthand look at coverups, colorful prints, unique cuts and innovative textures set to the sounds of samba.

According to the organizers, Maredamare received 8,500 visitors, with 23% of them coming from abroad. Gian Guatierri, the owner of Rio de Sol and a European distributor of various Brazilian brands through the online Brazilian Bikini Shop store, said that in addition to significant sales, participating in the show helped in the internationalization strategy, since the European market has shown significant interest in Brazilian bikinis.

“Portugal, Italy and Ukraine are examples of markets where our cut is standard beachwear. So we were a big hit, even more so for a first time participant; our bikinis were very popular among buyers and we had a total of 214 business contacts,” he explains.

He also said that the show was great for finding representatives in Italy. “To grow results, it is very important to take advantage of the event and find representatives. Despi, for instance, sent samples to a showroom in Venice, which influences the entire region,” he said in closing.

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. Over nearly 20 years, 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).