Four Brazilian brands were on the catwalk in Milan at a sustainable fashion event

On September 20, the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan hosted the 3rd edition of the sustainable fashion event “Beyond the Claim”, where four Brazilian brands will showcase their collections that combine innovation, environmental responsibility and positive social impact during this season’s Milan Fashion Week. The third edition of the sustainable fashion event was being organized by the World Sustainability Organization & Foundation and the Friend Of The Earth certification body, with partnerships and support for the organization and articulation of Brazilian brands from Brasil Eco Fashion. The brands that participated in the event were Camila Machado, Las Gringas, Natural Cotton Color and Val Valadares.

These brands received support from the Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil), maintained by the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit), in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), consolidating Brazil’s presence in this sustainable fashion event abroad. The Brazilian brands’ fashion show will also have the institutional support of the Brazilian Consulate General in Milan and Abrimos (Brazilian Association for Sustainable Fashion).

The Brasil Eco Fashion fashion platform curated the brands, reaffirming its commitment built over eight years to promoting conscious fashion in Brazil by inserting small brands and companies into the national and international markets. According to Cognitive Market Research*, the global sustainable fashion market is estimated to be worth $7.91 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5% between 2024 and 2031.

Women entrepreneurs lead the brands selected for the Milan fashion show

The brands Camila Machado, Las Gringas, Natural Cotton Color and Val Valadares highlight their commitment to sustainability and practices that respect the environment, value artisanal work and generate positive social impact. All are led by women entrepreneurs who represent the strength of the segment in Brazil. According to Sebrae Nacional, more than 65% of micro and small companies in the textile and clothing sector are led by women, reinforcing the relevance and social impact of this entrepreneurship in the sustainable fashion production chain.

Rafael Morais, executive director of Brasil Eco Fashion, explained: “The chosen brands are integrated into our ecosystem and seek to expand international markets. They represent the creativity of Brazilian fashion, bringing a unique cultural appeal, such as the ‘Marajoara’ collection inspired by the graphics of the ancestral peoples who inhabited Marajó Island and the ‘Calunga’, inspired by Maracatu, a cultural manifestation of Carnival. We want to highlight the creative strength and positive impact that these brands generate, promoting fashion that is also culturally rich.”

Lilian Kaddissi, Abit’s project superintendent, emphasizes: “Brazil, a hub of biodiversity, brings to the Italian catwalk brands that focus on sustainability and the appreciation of local culture. This participation during Milan Fashion Week is very important to show the world the best that our country has to offer in terms of design, creativity and respect for the environment.”

Learn more about the brands that are shown in Milan

Natural Cotton Color: organic cotton from family farming

The brand uses organic cotton that is already colored when grown, eliminating dyeing and saving up to 87.5% of water. The cotton is grown by family farmers and quilombola* communities, with guaranteed purchase contracts. The brand involves rural women in artisanal production, creating a fair and sustainable chain.

In Milan, the Calunga collection, inspired by Maracatu, a cultural manifestation of the carnival in Paraíba and Pernambuco, was on display with Pacoa shoes and Makano bags, reinforcing partnerships forged by sustainable fashion in Brazil. The collection created by Francisca Vieira, CEO of the company, with stylist Leo Mendonça and creative direction by Elis Janoville, features innovative fabrics such as two-tone jacquard in colored cotton made by Ecosimple and knitwear and denim developed with silk from Casulo Feliz and Bratac.

Francisca Vieira, founder of the brand, is a visionary who saw colored cotton from Paraíba as an opportunity to revive local production. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and Production Engineering, she is leading the expansion of organic cotton through fashion, helping to put Paraíba back on the world production map.

Instagram: @natural_cotton_color

Camila Machado: party dresses with an eco-consciousness

Camila Machado is a textile artist who combines her background in International Relations, Photography, Art History and Anthropology with over 15 years of experience in developing sustainable products.

The brand operates in the bridal market, in the mini wedding segment, which is characterized by more intimate and creative ceremonies. To create wedding and party dresses, as well as shoes, it uses artisanal techniques, such as moulage, botanical printing and natural dyeing. In addition, it promotes circularity by offering alternatives such as dress rental.

The collection presented in Milan emerged from the ALMAzônia project, an expedition to the southern Amazon to raise awareness among customers, artists and students about environmental issues and promote reflection on the impact of our choices on the planet. Since then, the region has become a source of study on dye plants.

Instagram: @camilamachadoatelie 

Val Valadares: Amazonian culture with Marajoara graphics

Val Valadares exalts Amazonian culture through party dress creations, always respecting the concept of slow fashion. On the catwalk in Milan, it presents the Val Valadares & Cápsula Marajoara collection, inspired by the Marajoara graphics of the ancestral peoples who inhabited Marajó Island 12 thousand years ago, a project carried out by Sebrae Pará involving more than 10 companies from the city of Belém and the state of Pará, such as part of the local projects in preparation for COP 30 Brazil, the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change that will be held in Belém, Pará, in 2025, an annual event organized by the UN (United Nations).

Her pieces combine ancestral and contemporary styles and pay homage to the work of generations of Marajoara women who, through fashion, tell their stories and preserve their legacy. The collection also paid tribute to Father Giovanni Gallo, an Italian who dedicated 30 years of his life to promoting the Marajoara people.

Val Valadares, a self-taught fashion designer of quilombola* origin, has been transforming her knowledge into income, and plans to transform her studio into a fashion school to inspire other women to follow in her footsteps.

Instagram: @valvaladares_ 

Las Gringas: fashion with biodegradable fabrics

The Las Gringas brand, founded by Annete Lima from São Paulo, produces clothes for people who are passionate about fashion and concerned about future generations. Specializing in industrial modeling and fashion design, the designer presents creations with sustainable and biodegradable fabrics, such as Amni Soul Eco®, manufactured by Santaconstancia Tecelagem, and which are free of toxins that are harmful to the skin, recognized by the international Oeko-Tex® certification. In addition, the brand donates part of its sales to NGOs that care for the environment, reinforcing its commitment to social responsibility.

The Las Gringas collection in Milan presented pieces with a versatile design, allowing them to be used on different occasions beyond the beach environment. Combinations in light fabrics created looks that flow from day to night, with beach cover-ups for layering that can reach casual urban events, in line with the fashion trend that values ​​multifunctionality and practicality.

Instagram: @lasgringasoficial

About Brasil Eco Fashion

Brasil Eco Fashion is a platform that promotes the best market practices and brands in the fashion industry with a focus on sustainability. Among its achievements, the Brasil Eco Fashion Week (BEFW) – Brazilian Fashion and Sustainability Week – stands out. It is an annual event held since 2017 in São Paulo, which brings together fashion shows, a business hall and creative fair, exhibitions, content, networking and entrepreneurship, with free access to the public. BEFW has already held two international editions at Milan Fashion Week, in Italy, and presented Brazilian brands at the Premium Berlin fair, in Germany, among other actions supporting internationalization projects of Brazilian brands from ApexBrasil, Abit and Abest.

About Abit

Abit is one of the most important entities among the country’s economic sectors. It represents the productive force of 23.6 thousand companies located throughout the country, which employ more than 1.33 million workers and together generate an annual revenue of R$ 193.3 billion (2023 data). The Brazilian Textile and Apparel Sector stands out on the world stage, being the fifth largest textile industry in the world.

About Texbrasil

The Texbrasil Program works with companies in the textile and apparel sector to develop strategies to conquer the global market. Over the course of 22 years, it has helped around 1,900 brands enter the export market, generating US$ 9 billion in business. The Program is carried out through a partnership between Abit and ApexBrasil.

About ApexBrasil

ApexBrasil works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out diverse trade promotion actions aimed at promoting exports and enhancing the value of Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and commercial missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits by foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms that also aim to strengthen the Brazilian brand. The Agency also works in a coordinated manner with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors, aiming to develop the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.