São Paulo – The Barbara Bela brand, which owns a garment factory in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, discovered business opportunities with Arab countries seven years ago. Its glamorous party dresses, filled with colour and brilliance, have pleased the tastes of Arab women, and now the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are the main export target, accounting for 20% of the brand’s revenues.
“Presently, our strongest client (in the foreign market) is the Middle East,” says Stefania Mascarenhas, the brand’s partner/owner. According to her, exports to the Arab countries dropped by roughly 40% after the world crisis. “The good thing is that with our latest collection, sales have already gone back to pre-crisis levels,” she claims.
A reference point when it comes to luxury, Barbara Bela was the only Brazilian brand invited showcase its items at the Dubai Fashion Week, one of the emirate’s leading fashion events. Georgiana Mascarenhas, a designer for the brand, displayed sophisticated and elaborate dresses. Some of the embroidered items took up to one month to finish. “We took part in two back-to-back editions of Dubai Fashion Week and our collections were always a huge success,” says Stefania.
According to the businesswoman, Barbara Bela has never designed an exclusive collection for the region, but is already quite familiar with local preferences. “Arab women like long dresses, with embroidery work and vibrant, joyful colours,” she explains.
Sales to Arab importers are usually made via the brand’s showroom in Paris. In September, Barbara Bela will participate in the Tranoï international trade show, also held in the French capital.
Barbara Bela is present in all of the Brazilian states, with over 120 points of sales.
Inspiration
The name Barbara Bela was inspired by the verses of poet Alvarenga Peixoto, one of the members of Inconfidência Mineira (18th century Brazilian independence movement). The poem that inspired the name also inspired the creation of a line in laces and flax that marked the beginnings of the brand, which was born in 1974, when businesswoman Helen Carvalho opened her first store in Belo Horizonte.
“The brand’s DNA include party dresses and ultra-sophisticated embroidery, it is an unique work,” says Stefania. According to her, another feature of the brand is moulage, a modelling technique by which the clothes are built based on the body, translating the spirit of each season into originality. “All of this makes the Barbara Bela brand a reference in Brazil when it comes to party wear,” claims the businesswoman.
The brand has 90 direct employees and a monthly output of approximately 1,000 units. The creative team consists of Helen, her daughter Georgiana, and the designer Juliana Bocchese.
Contact
Telephone: (+55 31) 8448.7836
Site: www.barbarabela.com.br
E-mail: export@barbarabela.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
