Bikini brand Rio de Sol exports 30,000 cloth face masks to France

The bikini brand Rio de Sol is exporting masks made in Brazil. The manufacturer started making the protective article, designed for the population use on the streets, at the beginning of the pandemic and, in collaboration with other swimwear brands such as Lua Morena, has achieved enough quantities to send 30,000 masks to France.

“It’s a start, we’re going to export a lot more,” warns Guatteri Gian Marco, president of the brand that is part of Texbrasil (The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – the result of a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency).

The brand also manufactures TNT models for Brazilian distribution, with a focus on hospitals. To meet the demand, Rio de Sol built a new warehouse, which took 10 days to complete, and has the capacity to employ 60 people.

Rio de Sol is one of the 100 national swimwear brands that are distributed in Europe by the Brazilian Bikini Shop, also by Gian. The executive says the effects of the Coronavirus were felt even before social isolation entered into force in Europe. Indeed, the delivery of hangers from Chinese companies was interrupted due to the lockdown in the Asian country, which delayed the deliveries. “It was the first warning of the consequences of the pandemic for our company”, he comments.

Once the European countries and Brazil were quarantined, the future of the business seemed uncertain: “We were really in doubt if I fired everyone, slept badly, didn’t know what to do,” he admits.

The solution, like many textile companies, was to shift the production of beachwear to masks. At the beginning of March, the Rio de Sol factory stopped producing pieces for the summer collection and quickly adapted to the new product: “We didn’t have much time to think,” says Gian.

Within a few days, the company found suppliers and started manufacturing the item to prevent virus infection. Rio de Sol initially produced the items for sale on site, but Gian urged the partners to join the initiative: “we asked different brands of swimwear to make fabric masks for export. Our goal is not only to help our factory, but also all suppliers”, he comments.

New scenario

Gian knows that the timing is uncertain and there is no way to predict when things will normalize. “It is difficult to predict what will happen. You have to see how the brick-and-mortar stores will look like during the summer (in Europe). In several countries, the beaches will only open again in June,” he comments.

However, Gian sees a scenario of possibilities: “The volume of the bikini sold worldwide is lower, but there is no competition from brick-and-mortar stores, so sales continue to exist,” he said. “On the B2C (direct sales to consumer) side, which is online, sales are certainly lower, but we will try to sell masks to compensate for this,” concludes the executive.

About Texbrasil

The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with companies in the textile and clothing sector developing strategies to conquer the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export trail, making USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is carried out through a partnership between Abit and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).