French shoe brand VERT and American designer Rick Owens launch a new collab for the third consecutive time. In order to celebrate the partnership, two new sneaker designs are the stars of the collaboration: the Runner Style 2 and Runner Style Mid. 

The Runner Style 2 was developed in a smoother and lighter way for the new sole. It is also more ecological, since the midsole has 46% sugar cane and 8% banana oil in its composition. For the first time, VERT introduces natural cork in its sole, combined with 30% Amazon rubber and 31% rice residues. 

Runner Style Mid is an equal part combination of inspiration of the brand and the designer. The new midsole was produced with 54% biological base combined with 64% of the same raw material as the cork sole. 

The redesigned sole increases the sneaker lightness. An evolved design for the sole with flexible longitudinal and lateral furrows provide comfort and improve foot scrolling, especially for long distances. L-Foam technology in the midsole ensures optimum cushioning. The upper part of the V of both styles was produced with 100% recycled polyester - coming from plastic bottles - and was made in Brazil. 

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The main trade show in the United States beachwear segment, Cabana, held its first digital edition from July 20th to 22nd. Cabana Virtual Marketplace held the event in partnership with JOOR, an American digital platform that allows interaction between brands and large retail boutiques. 

Água de Coco, Catarina Mina, Haight, Lenny Niemeyer, SERPUI, Triya and Yukio, with support of Fashion Label Brasil - Program of Internationalization of Value-Added Brazilian Fashion, created by ABEST (Brazilian Fashion Designers Association), and Adriana Degreas with support of Texbrasil (Brazilian Fashion Textile Industry Internationalization Program), created by Abit (Brazilian Association of Textiles and Apparel), both Brazilian fashion export programs in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments) are the Brazilian brands that attended the event. 

The digital event brought immediate business expectations of US $ 244k and US $ 404k for the next 12 months. “With this business model, the attending brands continued to have their personalized space, where the buyer had access to the images of the collection, videos, linesheet, interaction with the brand and order fulfillment ”, explains Alberto Hiar, ABEST president.

Article previously ran in Cenarium Magazine
By Náferson Cruz

Exotic and sophisticated, the pirarucu skin- a giant Amazonian fish - has been used exponentially by the fashion industry in products such as boots, shoes and bags. The innovative raw material with low environmental impact and unique aesthetics caught the attention of Denise Gerassi, a specialist in accessories made of pirarucu leather.

Seven years ago, Gerassi wondered: what famous brand with a Brazilian vibe would women like to wear? The answer was inspired by several ideas, but it was with the ‘Lenda da Vitória-Régia’ (water lily legend) collection design that the ‘Peixe do rio’ (river fish) line arose. Later, its remarkable pirarucu leather bags were born. "It was a challenge to research for a typical Brazilian concept and to transform it into a domestic product with an international vibe", commented the businesswoman.

Currently, the “Denise Gerassi Company” has the greatest demand in the pirarucu leather bag trade, topping 90% of sales. The brand’s showcase displays 20 styles of the product, and taking into consideration the available color palette, the options reach 40 different SKUs. Its demand comes from customers in Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United States and Portugal. The average bag price is R$ 1k (around US$ 170).

“The bags and accessories are always inspired by authentic Brazilian themes and based on rich handicraft processes that I develop with artisans and specialized cooperatives, located in different regions of the country”, she explains.

Gerassi points out that the brand has its own e-commerce where its pieces can be purchased. However, its focus is to export to other countries and, for that, it has the support of Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments), attending the most relevant trade shows in places like Colombia, Milan, Las Vegas and Paris. It also attends events like the ones at Casa Pau-Brasil in Lisbon.

Sustainable fisheries

In the past, the pirarucu fish was caught only as a food resource, and its skin would become ecological discarded waste. After a decade of research conducted by Kaeru (a company that buys pirarucu skin to be reused), the pirarucu fish is now caught following the most rigorous practices of sustainable fishing standards required by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and international treaties such as CITIES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in Brazil.

According to Denise Gerassi, their products are unique and exclusive styles, one of the few in the country that have an Ibama certificate. She also points out that riverside communities in the Amazon are also benefited by the acquisitions of the pirarucu skin. "It is a product chain that generates jobs and income, from those people who work in the handling of Amazonian fish to those people who work in the manufacturing plant ", added Gerassi.

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The city of Milan, one of the great world capitals of fashion, attracts and brings together thousands of professionals in search of new brands and talented designers. Emerging Talents Milan Fashion Week, one of Milan's most creative platforms, takes place from September 26th to 28th, at Palazzo Visconti Milano. 

In this edition, accessories brand Sy & Vie attends the event for the second time. This effort has the support of Fashion Label Brasil - Program of Internationalization of Value-Added Brazilian Fashion, created by ABEST in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Agency for Promotion of Exports and Investments).

“To attend an event in Europe is part of my export strategy. I was looking for an event that reflected my product, which is handmade with high added value and it comes in numbered pieces. In short, an event with a handcraft vibe ”, explains Sylvie Farini Quartara, designer and creator of the Sy & Vie brand. handcraft”, explica Sylvie Farini Quartara, estilista e idealizadora da marca Sy&Vie.

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For the second time in a row, Dotz brand, an ABEST (Brazilian Fashion Designers Association) member, attends MICAM, a shoe trade show in Milan, Italy, that takes place from September 20th to 23rd. The brand belongs to the team of emerging talents on the international market that showcase their collections in the EMERGING DESIGNERS area.

In this fourth edition, MICAM also brings talks, workshops, special displays and other events dedicated to the theme of innovation. It will focus on three main themes - trends and raw materials, sustainability and the future of retail - and will take into account guest speakers and innovative companies from around the world.

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