São Paulo – Shoes and accessories brand Confraria exported to the United Arab Emirates four years ago and is intent on selling to the country again. The company makes mostly leather purses, designed by its owner, the fine artist Ana Paula Braga Fernandes de Ávila e Silva, from the state of Minas Gerais. Each and every detail in the products, from the buckles to the trinkets and padding, is created by the brand. “It is an artful product,” the designer says.
The company closed its sale to the Emirates while attending an exhibition in Italy, and did no business in the Middle East ever since. Confraria has exported to seven different countries since 2008, but did not work the international front for the past three years. “We ‘dropped off the grid,’ we did not go to any international fairs,” says Silva regarding 2011, 2012 and 2013. Even so, she still has clients in France, Japan and Spain.
This year, Confraria attended the Premiere Classe exhibition, in Paris, and should go again next year. Exports were put on the back burner mostly due to the unfavourable dollar exchange rate. But Silva believes the international market is becoming attractive anew. “I believe things are going back to the way they were, people are looking for exclusivity, for something different,” the designer says.
Apart from investing heavily in design and making sure the items have an art-like look, Confraria is strict when it comes to sustainability. It uses strictly origin-certified leather, does not buy from tanneries that use chrome in dyeing hides, and works only with certified exotic leathers. “We have a very unique product, a line made from rush, a native fibre from the Amazon that was used by the Indians,” she exemplifies.
Exportation does not account for a large portion of Confraria’s output at this time, but Silva plans on eventually working with exports only. She says Brazilian consumers do not value local product much. And the items by Confraria are high-end, targeting the AA income bracket. Retail prices for the purses range from R$ 1,300 to R$ 1,400 (roughly US$ 500 to US$ 530). “Our design is widely recognized overseas,” the designer remarks.
The company is based in Brasília, but was first established in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 18 years ago. The owner is a native of Almenara, Minas Gerais. The holder of a Fine Arts degree, she used to work for a major accessories company until she decided to design a mini-collection. The effort paid off so well that in six months’ time she had her own brand. The move to Brasília happened 13 years ago, after Silva married a local.
Contact:
Confraria Studio
Website: http://instagram.com/confrariastudio
Telephone: +55 (61) 3386-0882
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
