Brazilians close deals at Who’s Next Prêt-à-Porter

Tuesday (9) was the last day of the S/S 2014 edition of Who’s Next Prêt-a-Porter Paris, one of the world’s top casualwear and accessories trade shows. Twenty-four Brazilian brands attended the event through Texbrasil (Abit’s Brazilian Fashion Industry Export Program), Abest (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers) and Abicalçados (Brazilian Association of the Footwear Industry) under the Brasil Fashion System export fashion brand. These institutions receive support from Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency).

Fifty-five thousand buyers attended the event to find out about around 2 thousand companies, split between accessories and apparel. One highlight was the eight brands from Ponto Zero Showcase, an incubator for new talent maintained by Texbrasil, that were at the show. “The fashion designers were able to network with buyers from many countries and open gateways to begin the exporting process,” says Evilásio Miranda, Manager of the Fashion and Design Center.

The group of brands at the trade show included Lenny, Osklen, Colcci, Tudo bom?, Jardin, André Ungaratto, Cecília Prado, Vix and Uqbar. “Our goal is to get a foot firmly back into Europe and also enter markets like the Middle East. And Who’s Next Prêt-à-Porter is essential for establishing ourselves in these regions,” says Juliana Sprandel, the export manager for Colcci. Texbrasil brands that were at the event are expected to have made USD 900,000 worth of deals.

The next edition of the trade show is set for January 25 to 28, 2014.