Following its tradition of mixing fashion, art and culture, this edition of SPFW brings us the theme “Fashion With No Boundaries-Inspiring Brasil”.  Along with the fashion shows many art shows and happenings take place in the magnificent Biennale Building inside the Ibirapuera Park in the city of Sao Paulo.  The intention is to show Brazil’s plurifacetical and multicultural state; a true melting pot of different cultures where creativity has no boundaries, and fashion finds its inspiration.

The intention is to bring the viewers the various realities of Brazilian cultural diversity.  Our African roots mixed with European colonization, the influence of urban life and its chaos, soccer, carnaval and music.

Inspired by this “chaotic” richness of the Brazilian diversity the art show untitled “Olhares do Brasil” (Looks from Brasil), comes in the form of every medium one can imagine.  More than 50 projectors equipped with special lenses and controlled by many computers, generate images as big as 21 x 150 feet.  Photos, videos, paintings and illustrations from artists like Mario Cravo Neto, Alfredo Volpi e Jacques Dequeker are constantly shown on the huge screens put all over the biennale building.

In the basement a movie theater was built for a movie festival during the fashion week.  Of course, all the movies are from Brazilian directors and the intent is to show what has been called by the international press as the “new Brazilian movie”.  In that same space Jum Nakao, the greatest Brazilian designer at this moment, launches his book and dvd entitled “The Sowing of the Invisible”, a behind the scenes glance at the production of his last show, in which the clothes were all made of paper and cut with special laser machinery. In the end of the show the models tore all the clothes.

Overview

I have to start my comment congratulating the organization for its new pressroom.  Very spacey, comfortable and well equipped.  Two separate rooms for the press, one for photographers, equipped with an amazing amount of internet connection cables plus wireless connection for the ones with airport cards.  And a room with computers, all net connected, for the journalists.  Add to this a huge lounge with comfortable couches, waiters with drinks and little snacks, an “all you can think of” coffee machine, and a movie theater with almost laying down seats, where you could review the shows.

The sponsor’s lounges followed their tradition of bringing superior décor and coziness to the event.  Parties followed the shows every night in most lounges, some with DJ’s and some with live rock bands.  Attention to a new sponsor, the Pirassununga 51.  You’ve probably heard about or even tasted the famous Brazilian drink called “Caipirinha”.  So, 51 is the best “pinga” for caipirinha you can find.  The brand released during fashion week its new Frozen 51, it is THE drink of the moment in Brazil. As a result of its success and power to make us “happy and hyper” the 51 lounge was the most visited by the fashionists.

Not only partying is the goal of the sponsors, educative programs are also found in the lounges. In some of them you are given a piece of clothe and access to more than enough equipment to accessorize it yourself.  Others campaign about the importance of selective trash collection, water saving and intelligent consuming. Also, some schools bring their students for special visits.

All in all SPFW is one of the most important cultural happening in Brazil.  Its power to bring culture together with art and fashion plus social programs, has made of it the second place in the ranking of spontaneous media coverage of the country, loosing only for the biggest Brazilian passion; soccer.

The Fashion

It must be said that this edition of SPFW was fashion wise one of the poorest I’ve covered.  Repetition, lack of creativeness and maybe an exaggerated preoccupation of the designers to show sellable clothes didn’t bring any emotion to the public, other colleague journalists or me.  Aside from a few good shows, the overall feeling of the public and press was “show me something I hadn’t seen”. 

What we might conclude for the next winter in the south hemisphere is that dresses and skirts will be constant, with tight and high waists for round shape ness.  Velvet will be extensively used, mainly in light pink and deep dark brown.  Add to this a bit of very colorful prints. 

The street wear will come in form of dirty jeans with small tight fit jackets.  For men, the bigger sizes will be the majority, and don’t forget a huge amount of pockets.  It seems like the “grunge look” will be back.

For the night, although it is winter, the designers’ weather prediction for this season is heat.  Just check the dresses made of thin and “flying” fabrics, very feminine, but don’t forget your coat.  Some beautiful prints and some shine will bring glitter to your night.

We have to acclaim the suit cuts.  They have been getting better and better and this time not only noble fabrics were meticulous cut, some jeans and other not so noble fabrics were really well cut.

In the end there is only one conclusion that in my point of view has been the must for this decade.  Just be yourself.  There is no judgment in this decade’s fashion.  Individuality is the word.  Democracy is the moment.  Wear what you want, what you feel like.  But please, don’t forget the good taste and common sense.

For Fashionlines from Sao Paulo, Brazil

Rogerio Mesquita