Fashion with a Social Message Shines at Brasilia’s Capital Fashion Week

It’s ironic; while Brazil and her people are known the world over for their style, color, and panache, Brazilian fashion has yet to arrive on a truly global scale. But there is an emerging school of fashion in Brazil, fueled by a national identity and a celebration of a rich, diverse, and jovial culture. And the world has been put on notice.

Fashion in Brazil is representative of its people—on both a cultural and social level—and nowhere was this more evident than in this spring’s Capital Fashion Week in Brasilia. Relative newcomers like Camila Prado, for example, presented a youthful, whimsical collection inspired by the Japanese school and in homage to Brazil’s large Japanese population (the largest immigrant community of Japanese in the world live here). Designers 100% Cerrado followed suit, blending eastern and Japanese designs with indigenous styles and materials such as diaper cloth and silk.

Also in vogue is a social awareness that brings a new level of consciousness to the local fashion scene. Championing this effort is Kátia Ferreira of Apoena. One of the stars of Fashion Week, Apoena is distinctive both for its look and for its message. The runway at Capital Fashion Week featured signature Apoena styles:  vivid colors, intricate embroidery, original pieces. Ferreira’s inspiration stems from a spiritual vision and from a desire to improve the livelihood of underprivileged women in Brazil. The company is a NGO, with an institution supported by the label and roughly 600 women under its employ (who, by the way, share in all the profits).

Apoena is not the only designer to look inward. 100% Cerrado works with artisans and seamstresses who live around Brasilia and focuses on themes relating to their region (“Cerrado” refers to the Central-West region of Brazil, an arid, desert-like savannah). New designer Eliel Salustiano offered an elegant navy-and-white collection that evokes these same natural elements in a quietly sophisticated manner. And Talentos do Brazil spun together rustic, earthy concepts using local raw materials.

Among other standouts at Capital Fashion Week were:
• Jewelry designer Carla Amorim – Amorim’s architecturally inspired rings (an homage to Oscar Niemeyer, the architect whose stamp is all over the capital city) and stunning pieces evoking natural elements dazzled.
• Fashion designer Sandra Lima – Lima was one of the few designers to offer a completely original look that was more conceptual and abstract than anything else on the runway. Her couture outfits were bold and innovative.
• Accessories designer Cia do Lacre – Cia do Lacre presented a unique assortment of mesh bags for every-day use, many fashioned out of soda-can-openers.

Brasilia’s biannual Capital Fashion Week, organized by promoter Marcia Lima, is an excellent showcase for the country’s new blood and future stars. Journalists from around the world were invited to the event by the Texbrasil Program, a creation of ABIT and APEX (Brazil’s textile and trade agencies, respectively). Along with a few well-known labels, this spring’s CFW belonged to designers who are either new to the fashion scene or transitioning from a locally recognized brand to an internationally known name. This spring, newcomer and veteran alike showed cohesion in their views on social conscience and cultural awareness. In short, they focused on what Brazil is all about, and let their fashions do the talking.