Brazil wants to turn beach culture into swimwear selling power
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The International Herald Tribune reports on how Brazil is using some of its greatest assets to pull in more business in tough economic times -- its 5,000 miles of coastline and its 10 months (or more) of summer annually.
‘We have the spirit of beach culture all around us and a natural sense of glamor for swimwear,’ said Paulo Borges, director of São Paulo Fashion Week, where eight of the 40 brands are focused on the beach/swim segment and several made guest appearances at the new Rio event. ‘But sometimes your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness. Perhaps we Brazilians have underestimated ourselves until now.’ While the country’s reputation as a great place to source beachwear has been known by specialty retailers and fans of collections like Rosa Chá and Salinas, [the country] had lacked a specialized event to bring all the brands together and consolidate their voice.
Now, those in the fashion business want to brand Rio de Janeiro as a world swimwear capital and Brazilian design as a must-have for those in the business of the beach.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City