Fabiana Milazzo benefits from new internationalization strategy

Designer Fabiana Milazzo is bucking the crisis, investing in an ambitious international growth plan during the recession. The designer has been a member of Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – a partnership between Abit and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) – since creating her international strategy and has attained one of her highest goals: opening a store abroad and dressing Brazilian and international celebrities.

The location chosen is on Melrose Place, in Los Angeles, in the USA, a favorite stop for stylists and celebrities. According to Ana Augusta, who is with the marketing team, this area is strategic to get a foothold on the competitive red carpets, in addition to kicking of the start of the brand’s internationalization.

Six months after the operation began, actresses including Sharon Stone, Katie Holmes, Annette Bening and Yara Shahidi were already wearing the designer’s gowns at awards ceremonies and on TV. “We used a careful approach to building our name abroad. It’s a gradual process that requires hard work and even greater quality control,” she explains.

She adds that expectations are excellent: “feedback has been very positive, both because we are seeing our dresses at the world’s biggest awards ceremonies and because our product has been accepted by an extremely demanding and sophisticated clientele.”

This year, the brand also looked to buyers in Europe, Asia and the Middle East through its inclusion in the Via Senato showroom in Milan. Augusta says that these are very demanding customers, but they pay for luxury fashion.”We still have the advantage that an artisanal Brazilian product is valued abroad, especially embroidery, which is very characteristic of the brand. That is why we are seeking to bring the best of Brazilian handmade products abroad, which are on a level playing field in terms of quality compared to major brands,” she says in conclusion.

Export trajectory

A member since 2013, the brand has relied on Texbrasil’s support since it began to plan for exports. Among activities carried out are apparel trade shows, such as Tranoi in France, in addition to welcoming buyers and journalists at Brazilian events. According to Lilian Kaddissi, the Program’s Executive Manager, this success is the result of very serious work that was done.”We closely followed Fabiana Milazzo’s trajectory of internationalization. The company came to the project with clear goals, outlining a solid strategy and following everything as planned. In addition to commercial promotion actions, the label has always been engaged in training initiatives,” she says.