January 12, 2011 (Rio de Janeiro) - After an introductory evening on Monday featuring newcomer brands from all over Brazil, yesterday saw the proper kick start of Rio Fashion Week, with catwalk shows from local brands Alessa, Filhas de Gaia, Melk Z-Da and Patachou.
Under a very cloudy afternoon – albeit as warm as ever - the lively atmosphere at the city's main docks (where the event is being held) perfectly translated this year's theme, the "carioca" soul.
Opening the evening was Alessa’s childhood-inspired collection beautifully mixing 70s shapes with sweets and bonbons prints. Filhas de Gaia presented a very strong collection which seemed to portray the personality of both designers, as half of the designs gave a nod to the androgynous look while the other half seemed more fluid and girly, yet resulting in a cohesive show. Melk Z-Da had a more futuristic approach to their designs, mixing fake hair pieces to create the illusion of fur with richer fabrics, such as brocades and silk. Closing the evening, Patachou presented a very somber and clean-cut collection aided by the powerful tone of classical music. Their designs seemed heavily influenced by the constrained look of the 90s, based on cuts and drapes rather than prints or embellishments.
From what was shown in day one’s catwalks, the winter in Brazil will be pretty muted and heavily based on the cut and contrasting textures of garments. Apart from Alessa, all shows had little, if any, printed fabrics. The influence of the 90s was clearly present, through tailored pieces or deconstructed effects. Transparencies, lace, silk and brocades were seen in all catwalks and designers looked for fur replacements using fake hair, plush, wool and other materials to create a furry effect on garments. Maybe Brazilian designers are more environmentally friendly; I believe this has more to do with the scorching heat that “blesses” the country all year long.
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