Marina Sarruf*
São Paulo – Moltec, a maker of accessories from the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, has already started harvesting the fruit of participation in Motexha Autumn, the fashion fair that is taking place in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The company, which is participating in the stand organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, made a sale of coloured sequin embroideries to two Arab stylists. This Thursday (15) the company owner, Mary Almeida, is going to visit a dry goods store belonging to a businessman from Duabi. He is interested in importing company products.
According to Mary, Arab stylists purchased 12 packets of sequin embroideries in golden tones, taken to the fair as samples, and have already ordered other colours and shapes. "My product is guided to a specific area. I sell very much to stylist," stated the businesswoman. Apart from the sequin embroidery, which may be applied to clothes and shoes, Mary also took to the fair accessories like brooches, belts and necklaces artistically made out of sequin embroidery.
Moltec already exports to the United Arab Emirates and to Saudi Arabia, although this is the first time that the company participates in an event in an Arab country. Most of the company international contacts are made in fairs in Europe. The company also sells to Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the United States.
The stand organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber includes three Brazilian companies, one stylist and one shoe association. The fair, which ends today, generated many contacts, mainly for stylist Leonardo Chiasso, who presented his dresses every day at fashion shows at the fair. Due to the great demand, Chiasso is already considering the possibility of opening a store in the Arab world. The stylists intention is to open a store together with a local businessman.
The shoe producers also made some positive contacts at the fair. The commercial director of Agaefe Indústria de Calçados, Henrique Martins Ferreira, who is also representing Giovanna sandals at the fair, is closing deals with a businessman from Iran who is interested in nobuk boots made by Agaefe. Three thousand pairs of shoes are being negotiated.
According to the foreign relations director at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Fadley Fattah, most of the buyers at the fair are from Saudi Arabia. "The Saudis have shown great interest in Brazilian shoes," he said.
Motexha Autumn, which began last Monday (12), counts on 500 companies and brands from 36 countries. Over 5,000 visitors are expected, according to information on the official site of the fair. According to the president of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, textile sector imports in the Middle East are around US$ 3.26 billion. This is the first time that the Arab Brazilian Chamber is participating in the Motexha, the largest fair in the sector in the Middle East.
*Translated by Mark Ament
