International guests close deals at the Bossa Nova Show

The Bossa Nova Show, the fashion event created when Fashion Business joined Rio-à-Porter, gathered 250 companies and 25,000 visitors from May 14 to 17 at its S/S 2014 edition. Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Industry Export Program), developed by Abit in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), brought six buyers and two journalists from Argentina, the United States, the Arab Emirates, Spain and Chile.

The international guests adored the Texbrasil companies, which included Blue Man, Victor Dzenk, T.Arrigoni, Areia Dourada, Desiree Nercessian, Lucidez and Totem. The buyers made over USD 310,000 in orders with Program brands, and business forecast for the next 12 months reached in excess of USD 800,000.

For Andrea Bakulic, one of the owners of the Lemonaki store of Chile, which only sells Brazilian beachwear labels, Brazilian fashion is notable for its creative prints and choice of colors in each collection. “Moreover, the quality of materials and the design of the items are some of the factors that facilitate acceptance of Brazilian products abroad,” she says.

The opinion-makers in attendance at the show also highlighted the authenticity of Brazilian products.  “Brazilian fashion created its own identity. Most of the designers and brands that I saw at the event transfer a lifestyle to the products; they communicate the freshness, joy, positivity and adventure of a country that is always discovering itself,” says Carolina Pierro, a reporter for La Nación newspaper, of Argentina.

Bossa Nova is organized by Dupla Assessoria and Escala Eventos, with coordination by a strategic committee that discusses policies for fashion development in Rio. According to the General Director, Eloysa Simão, “there were more people who came from other states in Brazil and spontaneous visitors, which is evidence of the strength of Rio de Janeiro fashion and of the city’s advancement on the country’s fashion business calendar.”