São Paulo – They are elegant. They also have very creative forms, tones and appendages. And since the first half of this year, 350 have ended up on the feet of Saudi women. They are shoes made by stylist Jorge Bischoff. He, who manages the brand that goes by his name and also makes handbags and clothes out of leather, decided to invest in the foreign market around one year ago. Apart from selling to countries like France, South Africa, the Ukraine, Croatia, Curacao and the United States, the brand has won a retail chain in Saudi Arabia.
"Our first contact took place at Micam, in February. We signed a test order, for 350 pairs of shoes with a retail chain in Saudi Arabia and it is working out very well. They (the Saudis) should travel to Francal exclusively to buy from Jorge Bischoff”, said the company export manager, Greice Cozer. According to her, the shoes shipped are in a slightly more conservative style than those sought by the French and Brazilians. “They are shoes with much metal, gilded and with medium heels. And they like matching shoes and handbags,” explained Greice.
Participating in Micam, the famous shoe sector fair in Italy, in fact, was one of the first Jorge Bischoff steps in its new strategy on the international market. The stylist, in fact, exhibited at a special place, turned to designers alone, with differentiated products. The company should participate in the September edition of Micam, when the spring-summer collection should be exhibited.
According to Greice, the stylist decided to intensify his presence on the foreign market after having consolidated the brand in Brazil. Before that, Jorge Bischoff products were sold abroad through export agents and were sent to the Mauritius, Greece, Turkey, Mozambique, the Ukraine, Australia and Bolivia. Sales are still through agents but direct export to the Ukraine, which already received the shoes, has been added. The same took place with France, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, South Africa, Curacao and the United States.
Brand exports do not yet represent much in the company’s total production, according to Greice, as investment in the area is recent. But, according to her, they have been growing fast and expectations are promising. The idea, in fact, is to try to place the Jorge Bischoff products in other Arab markets, apart from Saudi Arabia. “We are already working the brand in other countries. The Arab market is very interesting for our product. Also as a way to escape Europe a little, as the continent is not doing too well,” said the export manager.
For mothers and daughters
The shoes, according to Greice, may be worn by mothers and daughters. She explains that the company produces both shoes for older and more sophisticated women and those for adolescents. The most daring products, in fact, were developed with the daughters of these more mature and sophisticated clients in mind. The prices range from US$ 35 to US$ 45 for casual models and US$ 40 to US$ 50 for the more elaborate ones. Apart from female shoes, handbags and leather clothes, Jorge Bischoff sells belts, bracelets, key rings, male shoes and foot cosmetics.
Production takes place at a factory in the city of Dois Irmãos, in Rio Grande do Sul. There is an office, with the brand development sector, in the city of Igrejinha, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul. Still this month, Jorge Bischoff should inaugurate a shop and showroom on Oscar Freire Street, a top-end shopping district in the city of São Paulo. The showroom should be used to show the collections to clients. Visits to the site have already been scheduled with importers who are going to visit Francal, the shoe sector fair to take place in São Paulo, in July.
Contact
Jorge Bischoff
Telephone: (+55 51) 3549-9300
Site: www.jorgebischoff.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
