São Paulo – Clothes in coloured cotton by Natural Cotton Color, from Paraíba, called the attention of a retailer from Saudi Arabia at the Pure London fair, in August, in the British capital. The curious figure is that the trader wanted to make the company’s blouses into abayas, the long robes worn by women in the Arab country.
The invention worked. Two of the group’s brands, Francisca Vieira and Rubra Rosa, are getting ready to ship 150 abayas in natural coloured cotton in late November. According to Francisca Vieira, the company owner, the shoes, handbags and wallets under brand Comparoni should also be exported.
The cotton was developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). It is already coloured on the plant, and may be brown, green or beige, with no need for dyeing, which is a fact that attracted the attention of companies that seek ecologically correct products.
According to Francisca, who had never imagined selling abayas, the Saudi retailer liked a beige blouse, without sleeves and with a hood, in the Francisca Vieira brand. “We lengthened the blouse, added a hem, very elegant and sophisticated, added sleeves, eliminated the cleavage and left the hood, which makes the clothes more attractive," said the businesswoman, who sent three pilot items for the client to approve.
The Saudi order, which includes three models of abayas, two of handbags and two of clogs, totalling 300 items, is being produced by cooperatives and associates in João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba. According to Francisca, the Saudi tradesman had good taste. "All the items he chose had renaissance or frivolité lace (the latter being a kind of more worked lace)," she said.
The orders were placed with urgency, according to the owner of the group, and delivery time is 45 days after the first payment, which has already been made. Labour is no problem. According to Francisca, the cooperatives and associations connected to the group have over 300 seamstresses, lace makers and embroiderers, who supply eight of the company’s brands.
This should be the company’s first export to an Arab country. “They are being really interested. We are loving working with them. I hope they like the products and return to place other orders," said Francisca.
Participation of Natural Cotton Color group in the fair in London was through the Program for Export of Brazilian Fashion (Texbrasil) developed by the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit) in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
The group from Paraíba, established five years ago, has eight companies in feminine, masculine, and infant fashion, accessories for decoration and shoes. The average production capacity is 2,000 items a month. All brands work with coloured cotton. According to Francisca, the items are exported to Japan, Germany, France, England, Spain, Sweden and countries in the Caribbean.
By the end of the year, another two companies should enter the group, one making costume jewellery and the other, lingerie.
Contacts
Francisca Vieira
Site: www.franciscavieira.com.br
Rubra Rosa
Site: www.rubrarosa.com
Comparoni
Site: http://calcadoscomparoni.com/
*Translated by Mark Ament
