Brazil is claiming its place on the global stage and interestingly, fashion is playing a major role in the country’s ascendence. Significantly, the tremendous energy in Brazil’s fashion market is flowing from both inside and outside the country. After seeing Brazilian high-end boutiques and malls packed with customers who are actually spending, witnessing the creative energy and optimism at São Paulo Fashion Week, and speaking with several leading industry figures, there is no doubting it: Brazil is on fire.
But it’s also clear that the current boom has not happened overnight. Instead, Brazil’s rise as an important fashion market results from a complex set of interconnected conditions, many of which have been a long time in the making.
Because of strong and sustained internal demand, domestic fashion businesses that have been around for 5-10 years are now reaching a certain maturation point, expanding their reach with diffusion lines and new stores. Oskar Metsavaht’s wildly successful label Osklen is a good case in point.
Colcci is a high-end fashion company in Brazil that has outlets in New Jersey, France, Space and Saudi Arabia. Their fashion philosophy feeds into inspirations set in street wise styles with elements of hip-hop and sports themes. In the past, Ashton Kutcher, Paul Walker, Paris Hilton and Giselle Bundchen have featured in their runway shows and campaigns.
Honestly, Forum brand isn’t as easy to find, perhaps because forum is a common word online. Nonetheless, Brazil’s Forum is one of the country’s stronger denim and casual street-wear brands. On checking the company’s look-books online, the first thing you’ll notice is their raw street edge influence. Vibrant prints are balanced in the season’s trendiest silhouettes. Forum also does some pretty solid menswear.