Designers poised to break into the international league. And fashion weeks where everyones invited. Indias fashion cliques have a lot to learn from BrazilYou almost dont get it when Paulo Borges,the man behind the Sao Paulo Fashion Week,says the Brazilians love their fashion as much as their football or coffee. Not until you witness the entire city celebrate its fashion week,a style carnival where my press pass opens many doors outside the show venue and even allows a breezy immigration at the factory-like Guarulhos airport in Sao Paulo. Borges is right: fashion in Brazil unites people,whereas anywhere else in the world it divides people into class and economic rungs. Everyone is involved in Sao Paulo Fashion Weekif they arent models or designers (and there are hundreds of them),they contribute to production or technical parts.But everyone lives for fashion,for high heels,push-up bras,mini skirts and racer-back teesyes,its that kind of sexy. Fashion here is either edgy,street-cred chic or Arabesque bling-blinga mix of Mumbai and Delhi styles actually. Indias two fashion capitals have the most to learn from Brazil. For starters,the South American country has two fashion weeks tooa smaller event in Rio and then the mega one in Sao Paulobut both co-exist with grace. SAMPLING SAMPASAO Paulo,called Sampa by its locals,is not the South American party place. Its said the rest of Brazil parties because Sao Paulo works. And the well-greased clockwork efficiency of the SPFW,now in its 16th year,is proof. The shows are on a mega scale,most take place at the Bienal exhibition centre in the midst of the verdant Ibirapuera park. The Sao Paulo Fashion Week is the biggest outside Europe,after New York,and the biggest for Latin America, says Marcelino Pacheco,a reporter with the Mexican newspaper Reforma,for whom the SPFW is a twice-yearly haunt.While the country has the worlds attention thanks to its newly-discovered natural resources,oil reserves,gemstones and the fact that Brazil will host the Olympics in 2016,arguably the only market the Brazillian designers are interested in is New York and the rest of the USA. DESIGN DUTYDespite the American influences,Brazil has enough qualified designers poised to break internationally in terms of quality and identity. Jason Campbell,the New York and Los Angeles-based editor of the popular website jcreport.com,says,They apply all international trends but push their DNA in them. Oskar Metsavahts label,Osklen,is a clear favourite where innovation is concerned. He presents a beautiful collection inspired by eco-fabrics,a seal for 20 different categories of materials that are recycled,organic or handmade. In his words,it is a winter collection inspired by summers,and one that presents his home country as a region for sustainable development. Maria Bonita,a local Jil Sander,is another popular name in the local and international crowd. Her show at the sports centre,the SESC Pompeia,was inspired by the quirky architecture of the place. Alexandre Herchcovitch is the biggest name south of Panama; his mens show is electric,with models made up as skullsa leitmotif. His womens show is over-styled; black lace meets Moroccan headdress meets Scottish checks meets a Swarovski overspill. At first sight,hes like a bad Indian designer,but he proves that Brazilians love their bling. Brazilians are also an extremely body-conscious people,and clothing is a natural offshoot of that. Ellus had Madonnas boyfriend Jesus Luz as her showstopper; Ronaldo Fraga presented a dramatic show as homage to German ballerina Pina Bausch,reminding me of Manish Aroras whimsy of colour; Reinaldo Lourenco played beautifully with shoulders,mid-length cocktail dresses and leather. Leather is also the mainstay for Jefferson Kulig,he laser-cuts his fine pieces. Isabela Capeto pays tribute to sewing and beadwork,only appreciated by a Russian reporter. Amapo is well-styled and their newspaper coat is a conversation-starter. But Huis Clos is both modern and poetic with his tooth dresses,mixing of weaves and quiet silhouettes. THE MODEL LIFEApart from the Brazillian designers,it is the models that make heads turn. It all began when the famed fashion photographer Mario Testino came to Brazil to shoot for Allure magazine and discovered bootilicious Bundchen. Brazilian girls were suddenly flocking the fashion ramps and every girl aspired to attain model-dom first and then puberty. In fact,models are probably the only people who speak coherent English in this country; try buying some Brazilian coffee at a supermarket without speaking a word of Portuguese. Aline Weber,who has modelled for Marc Jacobs,Alexander Wang and Oscar de la Renta,and opened Balenciaga for the Spring shows,is a 20-year-old supermodel who now lives in New York. She was found by a modeling scout in a remote village in the Santa Catarina district when she was just 14. It was a very small village with little education and limited opportunities,so my parents were okay, she says as three experts work on her hair and make-up in the green room to which I am allowed entry with an appropriately green plastic badge. She says that Brazilian girls are popular because theyre nice and easygoing. The other most talked about model is Raquel Zimmerman,the new Linda Evangelista,who is in Sampa to walk the runway only for the label Animale. She is surrounded by black-suited security guards and is wearing an Animale top and vintage jeans. Zimmerman loves her model life. Ive worked very hard to reach here and I love my life, she says,adding shes currently reading Freud.Because of the many immigrants,there is a lot of diversity in their blood and they end up producing a unique look, says Campbell. And they have that strut from a very early age.But Ive heard Indian women are very beautiful, smiles Zimmerman,I want to come to India soon. I invite her to be my guest. But I wonder if she would enjoy the exclusivity of the Indian fashion scene,where everyones not invited.
