São Paulo – The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) and the Brazilian Designers Association (Abest) renewed an agreement yesterday (8th) in order to increase fashion exports. The event took place in the city of São Paulo, at the head office of Instituto Europeo di Design (IED).
The contract is valid for two years (2010-2011). Entitled Sectorial Project for Internationalization of Brazilian Fashion, the partnership is going to invest 15 million Brazilian reals (US$ 8.4 million) in actions such as participation in international fairs and parades, buyer projects (trips of foreign buyers to Brazil for business roundtables and technical visits), the development of promotional material and a book named +B Inspiração Brasil (+B Inspiration Brazil).
The project’s goal is to have fashion exports reach 12 million reals (US$ 6.8 million) in 2010 and 15 million reals (US$ 8.4 million) in 2011.
One of the countries set as an export target is the United Arab Emirates. According to Evilásio Miranda, the project manager at Abest, the country was selected because it is a shop window for other countries in the region, and attracts buyers from other Arab nations.
Miranda also claims that importers from the Emirates are usually in heavy attendance at fashion events held in Paris, France, a site that he says is ideal for promoting Brazilian fashion among the Arabs.
According to the manager, countries such as the Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are among the 25 most important markets for the fashion industry in Brazil. The Emirates rank fourth and Qatar ranks eighth on the list.
However, from 2008 to 2009, the Arab country whose fashion imports from Brazil grew the most was Lebanon, which bought 68% more last year. The second was Qatar, with growth of 65% in purchases from Brazil.
“It takes non-stop work in terms of relations with buyers,” says Miranda of the increase in Arab imports. According to him, fashion market buyers need to be sure that a given brand is going to deliver items with a steady style, one that will not change over a short period of time.
From 2006 to 2009, the greatest increase in imports of Brazilian fashion by the Arabs was that of Qatar, with growth of 89%, followed by Lebanon (81%), the United Arab Emirates (63%) and Kuwait (56%).
According to Miranda, presently the Abest has 23 companies that sell to the United Arab Emirates, 18 to Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, 12 to Kuwait and four to Qatar.
The manager explains that the Arabs mostly buy women’s clothing, such as accessories and high value-added party dress. “Arab women may not expose themselves, but they enjoy being well-dressed at home.”
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
