Brazilian Design Biennial presented Fashion Symposium
Bienal Brasileira de Design (Brazilian Design Biennial), which happens until October 31, in Belo Horizonte, featured international lectures during the Fashion Symposium held during Apex-Brasil week (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency). The presentations discussed design and innovation and were a guest only event, having the presence of public managers, professionals and fashion students. The guest speakers were Yogo Takashi, from Bunka Gakuen University (Japan), Sass Brown, from the Fashion Institute of Technology(USA), and Arturo Dell’Acqua Bellavitis, from Politecnico di Milano (Italy), besides Pasquale Mussard, Creative Director of the French company Hermes and of the French Institute of Fashion, which held the main lecture.
Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Industry Export Program), developed by Abit in partnership with Apex-Brasil, was responsible for the organization of the lecture cycle. Furthermore, journalists Nio Tatewaki, from niponic magazines Pen Magazine, Axisinc and Bijutsu, Barbara Lorca, from the Chilean publication Paula, and French Anne France Berthelo, from Ideat, were all invited. In Tatewaki’s opinion, “the event as a whole is very positive for the image of Brazilian design, not only for the exhibition of products and lectures that promote the exchange of experience, but for bringing all these out of the Rio-Sao Paulo usual circuit. This strengthens the Brazilian diversity”.
Also, five buyers were brought in: Kazuya Tatsutomi, from objects and accessories store Muji (Japan); Jose Luiz Pereira Braz and Valeska Meeder Molina, from Chile-Brasil Design; Kerri Sengstaken, from North American Style West, and Frederic- Rene Lourau, from the French multibrand Le Bon Marche. “During the visits and meetings with so many Brazilian brands, I realized that there is an US market entry potential for these products, provided a well-defined strategy can be traced,” says Sengstaken.
The Group of journalists had the opportunity to observe the Brazilian fashion characteristics as well as the fashion characteristics from Mina Gerais in depth, and even visited a few stores in the city, among them the store of one of the Program participant luxury brand Vivaz.
Both events were developed during Apex-Brasil week. For the Agency’s Managing Director, Regina Silverio, “the participation ensures an international character to Bienal, and also serves to position Brazil and take abroad Brazilian diversity and lifestyle that influence the design produced in the country”.
Abit‘s President, Aguinaldo Diniz Filho, highlighted the role of Apex-Brasil which, according to him, is leading the effort to develop the design and innovation in Brazilian companies. He also stressed the importance of Texbrasil Program. “We have already participated in more than 300 trade fairs abroad, brought to Brazil more than one thousand buyers and also more than a thousand journalists specialized in fashion and design as a result of the agreement,” he said.
Following Biennials
The next editions of Bienal Brasileira de Design will take place in odd-numbered years, which means that the next edition will be held in 2015 rather than in 2014. The change seeks to prevent Bienal editions from happening on election years and on major sporting events years such as the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. The 2015 Edition will be held in Florianopolis, and the 2017 Edition will take place in Recife.