São Paulo – One of the main goals of Brazilian designer Fabiola Fernandes for next year is to see the sophisticated and stylish bikinis that she designs at boutique stores in luxury hotels in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. "I always attend the leading international fairs for the industry in Italy and France, I have spoken to Arab importers and I know that there is a vast market for my creations there," he says.
In addition to Italy, where she has lived for 10 years, bikinis by Fabiola Fernandes are exported to Greece and France. Shop windows worldwide have always been a part of the professional dreams of the designer, who was born in São Paulo and left Brazil in 1999 to study fashion. The course in Design at the Polimoda school (Istituto Internazionale Di Fashion Design & Marketing), in Firenze, was the launch pad for her career.
"In 2002, after spending the entire summer at Forti dei Marmi, in Toscana, analyzing the how the women behaved on the beach and seeing my girlfriends go crazy over my bikinis, I realized Brazilian beachwear would be my thing," says Fabiola. "I started out with a thorough research into materials and developing shapes adapted to European women, while retaining the Brazilian glamour," she claims.
According to Fabiola, the major differential that she seeks is an unique style in her creations, with comfortable designs, prints featuring explosive colours and above all an elegant look, one that underscores the culture of beauty of Brazilian women.
The theme of the current collection is "Fascino del Viaggio," or the glamour of travelling. "It is meant for travelling at any time of day or night, with no limits, aiming to be well with one’s body and mind," says the designer.
According to the designer, the 2011-2012 summer collection will be luxurious and sensual, and was thought out for contemporary, minimalistic women. "The fabrics are comfortable, transparent and the seams are simple. The bet for coming seasons, however, is on a wide array of items and accessories that straddle the boundaries between day and night, beach and off-beach," claims Fabiola.
Return trip
Another project of the designer, who will come to Brazil in December, is meeting a local partner to manufacture the items here and sell the Fabiola Fernandes brand on the domestic market as well. "I wound up doing it all backwards by first establishing my brand abroad. However, the Brazilian market is fantastic and I believe this is a good time for promoting my brand among Brazilian women," she says.
Contact
E-mail: info@fabiolafernandes.com
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
