Great article about the coming-of-age of Brazilian fashion posted at the International Herald Tribune site - written by Robb Young. It states that in the past 10 years Brazilian fashion has matured from splashy visuals to a more subdued approach, such restraint influenced by a changing, less ostentatious consumer. The need to be commercial, appealing to the foreign market and a recent focus on brand-building are also main reasons for the toned-down looks from most fashion houses in past season's runway presentations. The article contains many blurbs by local fashion editors and designers , such as Erika Palomino and Dudu Bertholini of brand Neon.
"Long gone are the days when fashion insiders tried to evoke a Brazilian aesthetic from trite references like Carnival plumage or bikinis on a Copacabana beach. It has taken designers here 10 long years to convince the outside world that there is as much diversity in their native fashion panorama as in the natural one.
But no matter what distinctive quality that might be - piercing prints, primitive handicrafts, strong colors or futuristic silhouettes - the Brazilian design kaleidoscope has often had a wild edge, at least by Paris or New York standards. So why is the one place we could rely on for a fix of exotica falling prey to subtle and even bashful design this season?
Not long ago, critics dismissed much of Brazilian fashion as highly derivative of European brands. No more. A decade since the inception of São Paulo Fashion Week, some Brazilian labels are now confident enough in their own identities to even parody fashion itself. Wild theatrics have given way to tongue-in-cheek flourishes."
