On The Scene: Sao Paulo, Part 2

February 09, 2007

After being exposed to a marathon of fashion shows and different takes on fall for over a week, it was hard to wake up on Saturday morning and head to Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo for more.

Luckily the only show I needed to attend was the cabaret performance put on by designers Dudu Bertholini and Rita Comparato for their buzzworthy womenswear label Neon, and that was at 6pm. I had the day to try to recover from all the parties and fashions, to stop by Osklen to do some shopping, and to consume as much caffeine as possible to keep my brain functioning. Because I am assuming most readers from this site are men, I am skipping any comments about the sequined swimsuit extravaganza created for Neon to the sound of "Unchain My Heart" (and the fact that I got to interview entertainer Bianca Exotica for Fashion TV after the show, which was the highlight of my day).

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On The Scene: Sao Paulo

February 02, 2007

My first day in Sao Paulo was a tough transition after the weekend in Rio: the fashion shows are held inside the Biennial building at Ibirapuera Park instead of the tents at Marina da Gloria with a view of the Sugar Loaf (and close proximity to the beach). The building is a much bigger version of the tents at Bryant Park in New York, and holds a media room filled with computers, three rooms for the shows, and several lounges sponsored by national magazines in which champagne and drinks float around all evening.

I skipped the first show in the morning and headed to Ibirapuera right after lunch in order to collect my credentials and to get used to the building. I had to attend the Tufi Duek show as two of my very best friends are the head designers of the brand, but the show I was really looking forward to was the 8 o'clock one for my favorite Brazilian label, Osklen.

Ellus

For fall 2007, Osklen followed the same formula from seasons past, which seems to always please its active and eco-friendly clientele. The parade of Amazon guardians sent out on the runway was dressed in washed and worn-out organic wool knits, fishskins, and taffeta windbreakers. The men's collection opened with model Alexis Vinas in long johns, and maintained a tapered leg throughout. Light camouflage short shorts were paired with printed red sweatshirts (the prints this season were inspired by tribal geometric motifs and feathers). The high top sneakers with velcro closures and a smart side zipper, which came in silver and gold, are destined to fly off the shelves as soon as they make their way to the stores. I will certainly be getting a pair.

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On the Scene: Fashion Rio

February 02, 2007

I am on the airport waiting for my flight to Sao Paulo. It’s been delayed (as expected) thanks to several issues involving air traffic controllers and the airlines in Brazil.

I am leaving Rio behind where I spent the last five days covering the fall collections from local designers at Fashion Rio. I was invited to attend the event as a member of the press for the first time, and decided not to decline such a good excuse to visit Rio and learn more about the designers -- and perhaps also get a little tan in between the shows. (To see even more pictures from Fasion Rio click HERE.)

As you can imagine, fall in Rio is not cold. Today it’s 75 degrees and drizzling, which makes it difficult for designers to conceive winter presentations loaded with cashmeres, exotic skins, and furs, in the same manner European designers do. Instead, designers in Rio are forced to pair bulky sweaters with board shorts, and to tone down their ever-tropical color palette (done this season in various shades of gray).

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