2nd BtoBe Demo Day taking place today in Sao Paulo

Young fashion businesses that are members of the Brazilians to Be (BtoBe) Project are taking part in BtoBe Demo Day today, September 1. This is the second edition of the event, which is an initiative of Texbrasil, the Brazilian Fashion Industry Internationalization Program, developed by Abit in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency). It is aimed at interaction between entrepreneurs and mentors from various areas, exchanging experiences, networking and developing business. “The goal is to promote internationalization of these younger labels, giving their designers greater competitive abilities and a global mentality,” says Evilasio Miranda, the program’s fashion and design manager.

The Iara Wisnik (SP), Larsan (BSB), Femman (BH) and Ocksa (POA) brands – the latest members of BtoBe – will take part in this edition and will have 10 minutes to make pitches to mentors from different areas, such as finance, management, investments, marketing, products, media and technology. The following mentors are confirmed to attend: Luiz Morais (Grupo Nohda), Alexandre Cobra (Adriana Degreas), Felix Muehlschlegel (Adidas Creation Center), Olivia Hanssen (Farfetch) and Juliana Borges (Sebrae Nacional), in addition to textile industry representatives, journalists and buyers.

After the individual presentations, the designers will take part in a matchmaking session with the mentors, where they will be able to exchange experiences and receive feedback not just on their collections, but also on other aspects of the business, such as communication, sales, strategy and management. The four companies that will present at the event have been going through incubation in the last four months, in a program made up of consulting firms and mentoring from specialists in startup growth, so that they are able to develop hypotheses about their companies, products and customers, achieving an economically sustainable business model.

For Agustina Comas, the owner of the recently created Japonique + Comas, along with Jana Tahira, participation in the first edition of BtoBe Demo Day was essential to define the brand’s purpose. “The incubation process was very important for us to find the best way for the work we develop. We decided to maintain the Japonique and Comas businesses, each with its own work, and create Japonique + Comas, a brand specializing in hafu kimonos made using upcycling techniques (reuse of industrial scraps),” she explains. Now, in September, the pair will present the new brand at Tranoi International Trend Shows, in Paris.

Rio Grande do Sul-based brand Helen Rodel, a BtoBe project participant since 2012, is already reaping the fruits obtained from its participation in the incubator. In 2013, with the support of Texbrasil, the company was made part of an international showroom Barefoot Chic (headquartered in London, with shows in Paris and New York as well), included in the resort segment, currently one of the most dynamic segments in the market. The international debut could not have been better: the 2017 resort collection sold out online at U.S.-based Moda Operandi. According to Guilherme Thofehrn, a partner in the brand, the revenue goal for this collection was achieved and growth for future seasons is projected at 25% each season. The target markets are the United States, England and France. “Our goal considers the rarity of the product and is aimed at gradual growth, which is particular to operations in this market,” he explains.