Tropical and handmade: Borana stands out and focuses on the international market
After its first solo fashion show at São Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW), Borana is getting ready for a new phase: gaining even more popularity in the global market. With its focus on women’s beachwear, the brand, which since 2018 has been a member of Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – the result of a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) – has produced a variety of items with youthful and expressive prints, using and abusing manual techniques like macramé and crochet.
The brand’s CEO, Patiara Aguiar, who is also behind creation and development, spoke with Texbrasil about their latest launches and projects for the future. According to Patiara, the brand likes using manual techniques to develop prints, such as watercolor, embroidery, macramé and crochet. “This gives pieces a different look. I think our silhouette is unique, as is the style of our prints. There is this different aspect and it’s a big hit abroad,” she says.
Check out our chat with the CEO:
Can you define Borana in just a few words?
Tropical, artisanal and beachy. Borana’s fashion is for those that like the beach, since we don’t follow fads. We do what we like and believe in. Our inspiration comes from the beach, beach locales, villages. This thing where we make great use of rustic and artisanal things really comes from Brazil. It isn’t an inspiration from aboard; it’s from Brazil to the world.
How is the new collection being developed?
We recently photographed items from the latest SPFW fashion show to launch the collection now in late June and early July. They were inspired by the look of the ’70s, with patchwork, jeans and washed out tones using mustard, green and burgundy colors. Each tone has a different texture and we also used a black and white braid done entirely by hand. So you can expect lots of textures and jeans bikinis with patchwork.
And what was the repercussion from your participation at the last SPFW?
This SPFW was great, but at the same time it was very challenging. We were awarded a Top 5 fashion show from Sebrae. It was different than the other times we took part, since our visibility grew so much and the people who came were there to see us.
Which target markets do you want to reach outside of Brazil?
Portugal, Australia and, especially, California, in the USA. We already have resellers in these locations, but we also want to have recognized points of sale to consolidate the brand while we don’t have our own stores. Resellers are nice because of the convenience for the customer, but at the same time points of sale consolidate the brand and have a different weight. That is why we’re looking at taking part in North American shows that have the profile of our customers and brand – young and hip.
What do you think that Borana does differently?
Communication. We answer every message and the contact we have with customers is really cool. Because we sell a lot abroad, we try to use more casual language to build this relationship. We treat customers like friends and our communication is always based on friendship; this makes many of our customers feel that they’ve known us for years. I really value this. We also post plenty of pictures of customers wearing our items, which gives them confidence, since they see that the clothes don’t just look good on the model, but on them too. This is very positive.
ABOUT TEXBRASIL
The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with textile and apparel industry companies to develop strategies for success in the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export market, bringing in USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is conducted by Abit in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).