São Paulo – Designer and stylist Alessa, from the Rio de Janeiro-based namesake brand, has a world map in her Ipanema neighbourhood office in which all of the countries she wants to invest in are marked. In the Arab world, pins indicate deals closed in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Lebanon, for instance. If it is up to her, who currently exports to more than 30 nations, there will be new markets to be gained very shortly. Even more so because the brand’s 2011 summer collection, named "A Alquimista" (The Alchemist), is geared towards the Middle East.
“We have used a lot of pleated fabric, hand-embroidery, embroidered sequins, and sophisticated, lush colours in the collection," explains Alessa. “As a result, 60% of the line’s foreign sales thus far have gone to Arab countries," says the designer, who hopes to increase the rate to 70% by participating in the Tranoi fair, in Paris, France, in the coming weeks.
Paying attention to the map on her wall, Alessa sends e-mail and places direct calls to the importers that she is interested in, inviting them to attend events such as the one in Paris. The businesswoman claims that on these occasions, she loves to negotiate with Arab buyers. “It is a learning experience, they always ask for discounts, but they buy a lot. They are certain that they will sell what they are purchasing," she explains.
According to the designer, party dresses are the top-selling items among the Arab clientele. In the most recent collection, for example, the champion of exports to Arabia was the "Lua Bordado" (Moon Embroidered) model. ‘It is a long, blue, pleated chiffon dress. It was, by the way, the most expensive item in the collection: 400 euros,” she says. In addition to glamour, the women who wear Alessa in Arab countries enjoy strong colours. “They also like bold, lavish items," she explains.
One of the things that the designer takes pride in is the fact that her clothing is on display at points of sale such as the Harvey Nichols store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and at the Bloomingdale’s in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. “These are two of the best stores in those cities,” she claims.
The brand, which is named after its founder, was established in 2002, in Rio de Janeiro, and is geared towards women’s clothing collections that have “humour as their raw material” and “lots of Brazility.” The items are produced using handmade techniques and design. In Brazil, the brand may be found at 120 multi-brand stores.
Contact
www.casadaalessa.blogspot.com
Telephone: (+55 21) 2287-9939
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
