São Paulo – Brazilian fashion should double its presence in the Kuwaiti capital on October 10. The date should mark the inauguration of the new OTB Concepts shop, FA Gallery, to bring together fashion, furniture, accessories and art from Brazil, Colombia, England, France, Canada and Spain, with special attention to the countries of South America. From Brazil, there will be 12 brands, 10 in garments and accessories and two in cosmetics.
Among the great names of international fashion to have their creations traded in the shop are Marcelu Ferraz, Zeferino, HuisClos, Osklen and Maria Oiticica. Ferraz explains that he was approached by the Kuwaiti, who travelled to several countries in South America seeking brands with a "fashion line".
The stylist points out that the Arab businessmen came to his shop, in São Paulo, to learn about his work. "They found my shop very similar to the one they planned to set up [in Kuwait]. At the site, in Bela Vista neighbourhood, Ferraz offers, apart from garments, objects like graffittied chairs and a space, in the form of a kitchen, for clients to talk and read art and fashion books.
Specialized in masculine fashion, Ferraz should offer products like Bermuda shorts, shirts, trousers, T-shirts and baseball caps for sale in the Middle East. He says he did not need to make any kind of adaptation to the clothes to export them to the Arabs, who also took garments used in parades. "They liked my material as it is. I work with colours and prints, the Brazilian style, with macaws and flowers. All baseball caps have the Brazilian flag," he pointed out.
Aged 31, the stylist from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, has been in the market since 2006. He defines his work as "tailored street wear" in which he makes straight cut clothes into more attractive ones. White is the most present colour in the collections. To Kuwait, the products shipped were mostly in sober colours, like gray, black and brown, as well as other brighter ones, like pink and yellow. Among the material used, Ferraz likes to work with knit, taffeta, linen and cotton.
In Brazil, his creations may be found at his own shop in the city of São Paulo, and at points of sale in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Várzea Grande, in Mato Grosso. Brasília and Salvador should be the next cities to receive Marcelu Ferraz fashion.
Abroad, his products may be found in London and Paris and, starting next week, in Kuwait. The stylist is also negotiating to export his fashion to the United States and Japan.
The remaining Brazilian brands that may be found at FA Gallery are Maria Garcia, UMA, Serpui Marie, Glorinha Paranaguá, Cavage, Granado and Phebo. Among the international ones are Colombian ones like Pepa Pombo and Bendita Seas, the British Swear and Hudson, the Canadian Native, the French Boris Bidjan Saberi and the Spanish Titi Borras, among others.
*Translated by Mark Ament
