Discover what Brazilian designers are showing at Who’s Next

Who’s Next, the traditional casualwear trade show that takes place twice a year in Paris, will begin on January 23 and will welcome twelve member brands of Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Industry Internationalization Program, developed by Abit in partnership with Apex-Brasil), which will show their F/W 2015 collections. Karin Feller, Trendt, Cynthia Hayashi, Der Metropol, Gralias, Reptilia, Gabrielab and Beira are the designers participating in the BtoBe (Brazilians to Be) talent incubator, bringing products to show at the event, which will also include participation of the Teca por Helo Rocha, Lucas Magalhaes and Pat Bo brands.

BtoBe, a project maintained by Texbrasil and by Casa de Criadores (House of Creators), promotes younger brands internationally and selects new members through a contest held annually. The winners of the 2014 edition, Gabriela Braga, of Gabrielab, and Livia Campos, of Beira, will have their first experience at an international event at the show. Gabriela is showing colorful knitwear pieces inspired by Padre Antonio Vieira’s 1654 sermon praising the fish for their ingenuity and intuition. Livia will show her richly constructed collection, made up of neutrals for male and female shapes.

Cynthia Hayashi took inspiration from the modern world versus nature to design her F/W collection, which features floral and geometric prints, natural elements mixed with contemporary images and a mix of fabrics, in addition to the use of manual techniques. Mario Francisco, of Der Metropol, is showing elaborately constructed pieces with comfortable soft textures, digital prints and laser cut-outs. Reptilia was inspired by the Desert of Jalapao, located in Tocantins, dyeing and producing silk by hand. Heloisa Strobel, the designer, underscored the brand’s exclusive appeal, prioritizing limited items and sustainable processes.

Grazi Cavalcanti and Julia Guglielmetti, of Gralias, are drawing on their costume design experience to tell a story through their creations. The F/W collection is about a hoarder, carrying all of their belongings in compositions that mix colors in different types of fabrics, from chiffon to wool. Karin Feller brought her collection inspired by the city/country dichotomy, while Renan Serrano, of Trendt, showed his famous knitwear and devoré prints.

Lastly, but just as importantly, were the veteran brands with prior experience showing at major fashion weeks. Helo Rocha used a mix of textures including tapestry, metal ornamentation, embroidery and collages of prints for Teca’s F/W collection. Brown, gold, burgundy, off-white and black were the predominant colors. Patricia Bonaldi sees Pat Bo as the reflection of a more modern, fun woman compared to the classic, traditional woman of her eponymous brand. She was inspired by the aesthetic influences of Celtic civilization, translating the symbolism of the culture into rich, embroidered items. Lucas Magalhaes, the last designer to enter Patricia Bonaldi’s Nohda holding, showed a collection based on the strength and beauty of the culture in Brazil’s northeast, through items extolling the life of the region’s most popular characters using woodcuts and strong colors.