We had a BBQ in Belgium with a bunch of Brazilian friends; it's always great to have Brasilian friends over and get some Carioca vibes in the house.
A popular conversation topic amongst the girls is the problems they have in finding clothes in Europe, that is in Belgium and London. I get what they mean. Just get out on an average Saturday in De Veldstraat and take pictures of girls and women in the street and do the same on a average Saturday in Ipanema. Sure, one cannot speak in average terms, of course, (some) Belgian girls have the taste to make your jaws hurt when you're in a Belgian club.
My conclusion of this heated debate is that the Belgian fashion retail is completely different than the Brasilian one. In Belgium 80% of the clothes sold comes of 20% manufacturers, the big 'all the same mass'. In Brasil the number of small brands are much more present on the streets. The other opinion I have is that in Europe many 'interesting' fashion labels have flasgship shops in Paris, Milan and other 'fashionista towns' and distribute heavily on the Web. I've become a big fan of shopping on Asos, Cult, Frontline and Asos myself.
And am I the only one noticing that Europe is being influenced by Carioca fashion? Lorenz with his shirt out of his trousers on Kanaal Z when being interviewed is just one striking example?
Personally I am more keen on Curitiba Fashion trends (when it comes to myself)and when it comes to women, I have a slight preference for the Paulista catch; yes, this and that style.
But Carioca style isless complicated, and as sexy (please, just wipe out the men in Rio) To my happy susprise, German Brandneu was inspired by Rio and made inspired it's whole collection and catalogue on it. Check out their Guide, they made it nearly as appealing as the "Visit Rio" blog.
Here's their complete catalogue, (Carioca) girls, what's wrong with:
- The Seven7 stretch jeans on page 34?
- The Strenesse combo on page 56 (grey dress and pink tee)
- The Adidas Polokleid on page 68?
- The Joop pants on page 72?
- The Joop leather jacket on page 74?
- The Oui Set dress on page 75?
What a joy of subject! Thanks for bringing this up.
Here are my views and insights.
The ‘massification’ of the retail fashion industry assumes that everyone has the same taste and body shape. Affordable luxury fashion has been dumped on high street shops every week. The result is that retailers’ benefits from economies of scale come at consumers’ expense of poor products in matters of taste and uniqueness. Most of the products are mere faux copies of true fashion houses such as the Dior’s and Armani’s of life.
And the worse? The average woman (and I mean 95% of the entire women population) looks incredibly horrible in such cheap-look outfits. It is painful to walk around London and see those fashion victims trying their hardest to resemble Kate Moss’ looks. It hurts the eyes.
As a Brazilian woman living in London, I can tell that going shopping has been an unpleasant experience. The low-end segment looks cheap whilst the high-end is outrageously out-of-reach. In my opinion, the mid-segment remains an untapped opportunity for a reasonably priced true design brand full of character, shape and colour. And, just in case I have not made myself clear, I am going to repeat the four keywords: design, character, shape and colour. Reasonable price is important but comes later in the equation. We are willing to stretch a lit bit for the indulgence we deserve. The overall value comes first indeed.
In my case, I see three alternatives for the time being. For the everyday look, get the basics right and add your personal touch with nice shoes and bespoke accessories. For nights-out occasions, pick-and-mix the cheap and the expensive; the old and the new. I personally love the modern vintage look. It has something very special about it. And last but not least, look forward to your next trip to Brazil where you can go shopping in one of the small high street boutiques they still have over there. I hope they endure the overwhelming fashion ‘massification’.
Cheers! Natalie
Posted 17 years ago