Lucas Magalhaes. Minas Trend – Inverno 2015. Photo: Ze Takahashi/FOTOSITE. Copyright: FOTOSITE.
Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is the booming fashion epicentre you’ve probably never heard of. The region boasts a thriving industry that ranges from textile manufacturers, artisans, specialized sites for technological research and development and of course designers, who enjoy access to high quality production hubs. Brazilian fashion, as Sleek learned during the week, has much to do with avoiding mass production, with local designers opting for the kind of intricate detailing that would attest to that.
Twice a year, the city plays host to Minas Trend, a trade show which also includes a slew of runway presentations that would put many a megabrand-sponsored fashion week to shame. International press and buyers were invited by Texbrasil to explore the local industry and Sleek has come back with some notes:
Faven. Minas Trend – Inverno 2015. Photo: Ze Takahashi/FOTOSITE. Copyright: FOTOSITE.
All colours, all seasons
The American and European fashion markets are closely controlled by trend forecasters, and colours, above all, are pre-defined across the industry. If there is, in fact, such a thing as colour trending that Brazilian designers follow (which we certainly couldn’t discern) then it gets obliterated anyway by the colourful prints favored here by all. A case in point: Faven, known for their fine knitwear, started their show off with a warm palette of orange and black, some sheers and some sparkles. Plural, a minimalist, sportswear-inspired label, on the other hand, showed a snowy palette of pastels, grey and plenty of white. Luxury brand Mabel Magalhaes, in turn, used a lot of purple and cherry hues, mixed in with some light greens to evoke the feeling of a winter garden in bloom.
Material matters
Locally produced fabrics come in high quality; leather in particular is a Brazilian specialty, and it’s not just the accessory brands who take advantage of it. Womenswear designer Patricia Motta creates full collections exclusively in leather, down to the show-closing bridal gown. For her Winter 2015 collection, Motta embossed leather dresses to resemble the texture of linen, or adorned her voluminous and soft ankle-length skirts with hand-cut flowers. The promising young designer Lucas Magalhaes (no connection to aforementioned Mabel Magalhaes) sent neoprene dresses down the runway, staying in line with an underwater theme also evident in his bright yellow prints, inspired by a type of fish found in the north of Brazil. We may not need to remind you: the Brazilian taste is hardly minimal, understated or subdued; women here do not shy away from bold statements.
Patricia Motta. Minas Trend – Inverno 2015. Photo: Ze Takahashi/FOTOSITE. Copyright: FOTOSITE.
It’s in the details
Maybe it’s due to the rich artisanal culture, maybe it’s due to the availability of expert handicraft manufacturers in the region, or maybe it’s because Brazilian women like the glamour of it. For whatever reason – or maybe all of the above – details are important. There were lushly embroidered parkas and crochet lace at Mabel Magalhaes, hand knotted crochet maxi tops at Rogerio Lima & B Boucle, shredded skirts at Lucas Magalhaes and Particia Motta, ruffles and tassels at Faven, and prints, prints, prints.
Have we mentioned prints?
Why go for one colour when you can go for many? The collections featured an array of playful patterns and abstracted interpretations of traditional prints. Lucas Magalhaes mixed florals with stripes and fish scale prints, Particia Motta defragmented the classic snake print on leather dresses and overalls and Plural embedded landscapes of snowy mountains in their total looks. The abundance of shapes and colours can be dizzying, but it does help that Brazilians have a heightened talent for elegant combining and styling.
Lucas Magalhaes. Minas Trend – Inverno 2015. Photo: Ze Takahashi/FOTOSITE. Copyright: FOTOSITE.
Most Brazilian labels aren’t available in Europe yet – the South and North American markets are more easily accessible to them. Recently, however, Firenze’s luxury concept store, Luisa Via Roma, partnered with Texbrasil, Abit and Apex-Brasil, three organizations dedicated to the promotion of Brazilian fashion worldwide, to bring a selection of 20 designers to Europe.
Text by Hili Perlson
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See more of our favourite looks from the Brazilian catwalks below