Fashion Rio Autumn/Winter 2011

Carol Aquino

Lucas Magalhães Collection for the Rio Moda Hype Award. Photo Courtesy of ffw.com.br © Agência Fotosite/Zé Takahashi

January 11, 2011 (Rio de Janeiro) - Greetings from Rio de Janeiro! I'm more than pleased to be Fashion Trendsetter's correspondent for Rio Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011.

This, at first, may sound odd: a fashion event dedicated to winter collections in a city that is known for its beaches, renowned swimwear and sunny, warm weather all year round.

Although winter in Rio has an average temperature of 20°C (around 68°F), there are a few places in Brazil where proper winter wear is needed. Anyone who visited Rio Fashion Week - and São Paulo Fashion Week, for that matter - could see that this event goes beyond the national market.

The company that organizes São Paulo and Rio Fashion Weeks, Luminosidade, has worked extremely hard over the last few years to improve the structure of the event and managed to dominate the local fashion scene. However, the feeling is that this recognition is part of a bigger plan, not only aimed at the national media. Behind it all there seems to be a desire to deconstruct the myth that Brazilian brands specialize only on swimwear and to prove that national household names such as Carlos Miele, Alexandre Herchcovitch or Pedro Lourenço don't need to travel 5,000 miles to present their designs in New York or Paris. Last year Luminosidade invited the 'golden couple' of fashion photography blogging, Garance Doré and Scott Schuman, to attend Fashion Rio; this year the invitee is fashion blog maven BryanBoy. Like in a chess game, all these small moves fulfill their role to check mate the international fashion media. Their goal is to demonstrate that many Brazilian designers are worth more than just a glance and to place Brazil as an integral part of the fashion calendar.

Luminosidade's bet isn't as risky as it seems: while the global economic outlook hasn't helped, Brazil has been blessed with a growth spurt in recent years, being mildly affected by the financial crisis. Successful bids to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics can only improve Brazil's awareness abroad and help its fashion industry to make its mark. Furthermore, the company (together with local trade agencies) is fostering the development of new talent by rewarding young promising designers with the Rio Moda Hype Award, allowing them to showcase some of their work in the first day of the event. This is a similar project as the NEWGEN event hosted by the British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week.

All in all, things look very promising. With a line-up that includes household names such as Totem, Redley, Maria Bonita Extra and Cantão, Rio Fashion Week captures perfectly what symbolizes the "carioca way of life" - which is also the theme of this season's event. And since the whole world fantasizes about Rio and its lifestyle, it's clear to see that the organizers' are on the right track.

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