Cecília Baima, CEO of the Ceará-based label Marina Bitu, sits down with Abest & Fashion Label Brasil to discuss the brand’s collaboration with Rio de Janeiro’s Farm

Every good collaboration is, at heart, an act of stitching two creative visions together. Farm and Marina Bitu arrive at theirs from different vantage points on Brazil, yet share a single purpose: to champion a contemporary Brazilian identity that keeps finding new ways to surprise. Farm is known for its prints and exuberant storytelling, which already reach women from one end of the country to the other. Marina Bitu is defined by meticulous research into the Northeast and its handcraft traditions. The result is a collection that pairs Farm’s signature fluid silhouettes with tactile textures, a quieter palette and understated artisanal details. Farm’s vivid prints give way to softly faded tones.

“For us, this collaboration, like every other we do, only makes sense when there is a genuine exchange, and when we can build a narrative that respects and honors our origins. That’s one of the most beautiful things about this partnership: bringing together different ways of seeing Brazil, and showing that our diversity may be precisely what connects us,” Baima says.

Founded in Fortaleza in 2017 by Marina Bitu and Cecília Baima, the label has spent the years since raising craft to another level. Pleating, crochet, macramé, lace, embroidery and weaving are refined into pieces that reward a closer look. In less than a decade, the brand has claimed a place on fashion’s most visible stages. It has shown at São Paulo Fashion Week and taken part in international trade fairs such as WHITE Milano and Coterie New York. Today it is widely regarded as one of the most compelling names in Brazil’s new generation of designers, and the Farm collaboration now opens fresh territory. “Farm is a household name across Brazil, with a deep connection to different audiences and regions. This exchange allows us to reach new places and new people, while sharing our way of seeing the Northeast and translating it through fashion.”

1) Cecília, considering this remarkable meeting of styles between Farm and Marina Bitu, where did the two brands find common ground?

I think the main meeting point between Farm and Marina Bitu lies in their ability to transform Brazilian references into a contemporary fashion language without losing their identity. Both brands have a very strong relationship with Brazil: with our culture, our colors, our ways of making and, above all, with the idea of telling stories through fashion.

2) In what ways do you feel Farm and Marina Bitu complement each other?

The brands complement each other through their perspectives. Farm brings a very powerful communication experience, a colorful visual world and its own translation of the Brazilian imagination. Marina Bitu starts from a more personal, auteur point of view. It is deeply connected to the Northeast, where our roots are, to craftsmanship, and to experimenting with ancestral materials and techniques reinterpreted for today.

The exchange was wonderful, because it allowed us to create something that carries the identity of both brands together while also offering each of them a fresh reading of itself.

3) Brazil is vast and incredibly rich in raw materials. Do you plan to reach audiences in other regions through collaborations like this one?

Absolutely. Brazil is an endless source of research for us. It’s a country of continental scale, it’s our home, and it fills us with pride and wonder. Every region has its own culture, its own handcraft and its own very particular stories, and we truly believe in the potential of turning those elements and stories into pieces that carry an identity.

The Northeast remains our deepest field of research, because it’s where we come from and it’s part of our everyday life. Our clothes are born from our lived experience and from these stories. That’s what makes this partnership with Farm so special. It’s an incredible opportunity to take our vision of the Northeast, and of our own experiences, to other parts of Brazil. We want to share this perspective and these crafts, which we speak about so passionately, with audiences who may never have encountered our work or this kind of handmade tradition.

4) Exporting the “face of Brazil” has become a far broader mission, given how many brands are now pursuing international growth. How do you see audiences abroad interpreting Marina Bitu’s fashion image?

We sense enormous curiosity about Brazil abroad, which is wonderful. Today there is a genuine interest in understanding our culture, our materials, our processes and the many different narratives that exist within the country.

But we don’t want Marina Bitu to be seen simply as a Brazilian brand in the most obvious, stereotypical sense. Beyond that, we want to be recognized as a fashion brand with its own identity, one whose origins and references are Brazilian and, above all, from the Northeast. We are very committed to shining a light on northeastern Brazilian fashion.

5) What do you find draws the most attention to the brand when you’re abroad?

When we show our work outside Brazil, we notice that our handcraft techniques and our relationship with materials spark a great deal of interest. Banana fiber, for example, is a material that is central to our research and to the brand. When it’s applied to a garment, people become curious about the material itself, about how the piece was made and about the story behind it. The same happens with other artisanal techniques, such as fuxico, a traditional Brazilian technique of gathered fabric rosettes, and with the way we work with volume, texture and finishing.

But what truly creates a connection is how we translate all of this into the garment. We want to show the power, the sophistication and the modernity inherent in these crafts. That is one of the greatest challenges, and also one of the greatest opportunities, in taking a Brazilian brand international: carrying our identity abroad without having to dilute it in order to be understood.

6) How do you preserve a strong local identity while building an international presence?

I truly believe that the more authentic our narrative is, the more universal it can become. Our international strength lies in that combination: an identity that is strong, highly particular and deeply rooted in our territory and our stories. That is what allows us to build a language that speaks to people from very different places.

In the end, I think it’s far more interesting for the world to discover Brazil through the many perspectives we have, especially given how vast the country is, than to invent a single “face” for Brazil. That’s what the brand hopes to contribute: showing that Brazil is a big, plural country, rich in history and knowledge, and one that is also looking ahead, opening up new possibilities for fashion.

The collaboration is now available online at Farm’s website and in select stores.

By Juliana Lopes (@j.u.lopes), content editor, FASHION LABEL BRASIL

In September, a strategic time of year for global fashion, 25 Brazilian brands will head to Italy to participate in White Milano, one of Europe’s premier trade shows for emerging designers. Traditionally held during Milan Fashion Week, the event has become a global showcase of new brands for buyers, trend forecasters, journalists, and fashion consumers. The trade show takes place from September 24 to 27 in Zona Tortona, a vibrant, central district of the city.

The confirmed Brazilian brands, supported by Fashion Label Brasil—a partnership between the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers (ABEST) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) are: Ana Prata, Ascury, Arrocho, Barbara Müller, Boah, Carrega, Cristina Sabatini, Débora Parisotto, Dotz, Elis Cardim, Fio a Fio, Gabriela Fiuza, Hector Albertazzi, Irá Salles, Lis Fiaschi, Louloux, Lumar, Ludimila Heringer, Lybethras, Maria Genuíno, Melissa, Patú, Rio de Sol, Sage Brazil, and Vila Dharma.

This edition also features a partnership with SEBRAE RN, supporting four brands from the state of Rio Grande do Norte: Arrocho, Fio a Fio, Maria Genuíno, and Vila Dharma.

The Brazilian collective spans various women’s and men’s fashion segments. In apparel, the lineup highlights designer pieces in luxury crochet, cotton, linen, and silk, with many showcasing sustainable fashion initiatives. The brands will also present fine jewelry, fashion accessories, swimwear, and footwear.

ABOUT ABEST
Established in 2003, the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers (ABEST) aims promote Brazilian design and authentic fashion. Its primary mission is to support the development of Brazilian brands with international reach and promote the Brazilian lifestyle, contributing to the growth of all fashion segments.

White Milano Catalog

ABOUT FASHION LABEL BRASIL
Fashion Label Brasil is the Brazilian Fashion Internationalization Program, run by ABEST (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers). Created over 20 years ago in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), it currently includes around 180 participating brands; 85% are women-led and 40% have sustainable & eco-friendly practices. Its proposal is to position Brazilian fashion abroad, promoting the image of an innovative and contemporary Brazil.

ABOUT APEXBRASIL
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy.

In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand.

The Agency also acts in a coordinated way with public and private players to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil with a focus on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.

About SEBRAE

The Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to promoting the sustainable growth and market competitiveness of small businesses throughout Brazil.

EPISODE #13 | MADE IN BRAZIL: THE OSKLEN SUCCESS STORY

Imagine a doctor who trades his stethoscope for a sewing machine. Who climbs the Andes, makes his own jacket by hand, and somewhere between the altitude and the ice, decides: this is what I want to build. That man is Oskar Metsavaht. And what he built is Osklen.

A brand born in 1989 from a tiny store in Búzios, a beach town in Rio de Janeiro, became one of the most forward-thinking labels in the world.

Osklen didn’t wait for sustainability to become a buzzword. They were working with Amazonian pirarucu fish leather, organic cotton, and recycled polyester before most brands had even heard the word ESG.

They built the Instituto-E, a non-profit dedicated to proving that beauty and responsibility are not opposites. They’ve increased the income of over a thousand riverside communities in the Amazon. They made a sneaker sole from natural latex tapped directly from the forest.

This year Oskar signed the uniforms for Brazil’s delegation at the Winter Olympics in collaboration with the italian Moncler.

About our PODCAST

During the Fashion Label Brasil Podcast our host the journalist Alexandra Farah, talks to the designers and creative minds ahead of amazing Brazilian brands to show their expertise worldwide.

Presented by Fashion Label Brasil, in a partnership between The Brazilian Association of the Fashion Designers (ABEST) and The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

New episode of our Podcast is available. Listen to the full episodes on your favorite platform!

About FASHION LABEL BRASIL
Fashion Label Brasil is the Value-Added Brazilian Fashion Internationalization Program by ABEST (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers). Created over 20 years ago in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), it currently counts around 180 participating brands, 85% of which are women-led and 40% incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Its purpose is to position Brazilian fashion abroad, enhancing the image of an innovative and contemporary Brazil.

About ABEST
Created in 2003, the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers (ABEST) aims to strengthen and promote Brazilian design and independent fashion. Its primary goal is to assist in the development of Brazilian brands with international reach and promote the Brazilian lifestyle, contributing to the growth of all fashion-related segments. The association serves as an environment for exchanging information and experiences among its members, addressing individual needs through training, market data, product promotion, and the identification of business opportunities in Brazil and abroad.

About APEXBRASIL
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy.

In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand.

The Agency also acts in a coordinated way with public and private players to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil with a focus on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.

A group of 46 Brazilian brands participated in a series of events during Miami Swim Week 2026 in the United States, delivering impressive results. Immediate closed deals exceeded US$ 1.65 million, with a 12-month sales forecast of approximately US$ 4.7 million. Together, the brands established over 1,500 business contacts.

Click here to check our catalog with the Brazilian brands:
Miami Swim Week Brazilian Brands

Of the total, 21 companies received support from Texbrasil (the Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program)—a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency). Out of these, 18 showcased their collections at SwimShow, widely regarded as one of the world’s most traditional and influential swimwear trade shows, which took place from May 30 to June 1 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The participating brands were: Akera, Constantinopla, Das Meninas, Falésia Carioca, Ga-Ha, Guilff, Guria Beachwear, Jungle Society, Karla Vivian, Kopsch, Lybethras, MOS Beachwear, Nidas, Planet Sea, Rio de Sol, Rygy, Silvia Schaefer, and Zillê Rio.

Simultaneously at the same venue, two other Brazilian companies made their debut at Curve Miami, also supported by the Texbrasil Program: Mari M and Plié. In another unprecedented move for this year’s edition, Colombiamoda Miami opened its doors to international brands for the first time, with Borana representing Brazil. The event took place at Throw Social from May 27 to 29.

The cohort of companies backed by Texbrasil recorded 467 contacts, generating around US$ 426,500 in immediate sales and a 12-month forecast of US$ 2.03 million. “Brazilian swimwear stood out due to its high-quality products, creativity reflecting the country’s identity, and an internationally recognized standard of excellence. These attributes boosted the competitiveness of our domestic brands and consolidated Brazil as a global benchmark in this segment,” stated Adriana D´Agostini, Trade Promotion Manager at Abit.

The other 25 companies in the Brazilian delegation attended Cabana Show, supported by Fashion Label Brasil—the Value-Added Brazilian Fashion Internationalization Program, created by ABEST (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers) in partnership with ApexBrasil. The brands included: Água de Coco, Catarina Mina, Cecília Prado, Cristina Sabatini, Despi, Dress To, Empress, Gapaz, La Sirène, Lavish, Lenny, Lis Fiaschi, Maria Pavan, Melissa, Naked, Osklen, Patbo, Serpui, Sinesia Karol, Sophia Hegg, Ventura Eyewear, Vix, Waiwai, Yukio, and Zoew. They reported making 1,060 contacts, which resulted in approximately US$ 1.23 million in sales during the event and an estimated US$ 2.67 million in future business over the next 12 months.

“Brazilian resort wear has been carving out a prominent space in the international market through a unique combination of creativity, quality, and authenticity. The collections presented by our domestic brands reflect not only the Brazilian lifestyle but also a strong commitment to sustainability, local craftsmanship, and handmade techniques—elements that are increasingly valued by global buyers and consumers,” commented Aurea Yamashita, International Project Manager at ABEST.

About Abit

Founded on February 21, 1957, the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit) is one of the most significant entities within the country’s economic sectors. It represents the productive force of 25,700 companies of all sizes across the national territory, employing over 1.34 million workers and collectively generating an annual revenue of R$ 221 billion (as of 2024).

About Texbrasil

The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with textile and apparel companies to develop strategies for conquering the global market. Over more than 25 years, it has helped around 2,000 brands enter the export path, generating US$ 11 billion in business. The Program is a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency).

About ABEST

Created in 2003, the Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers (ABEST) aims to strengthen and promote Brazilian design and independent fashion. Its primary goal is to assist in the development of Brazilian brands with international reach and promote the Brazilian lifestyle, contributing to the growth of all fashion-related segments. The association serves as an environment for exchanging information and experiences among its members, addressing individual needs through training, market data, product promotion, and the identification of business opportunities in Brazil and abroad.

About Fashion Label Brasil

Fashion Label Brasil is the Value-Added Brazilian Fashion Internationalization Program by ABEST (Brazilian Association of Fashion Designers). Created over 20 years ago in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), it currently counts around 180 participating brands, 85% of which are women-led and 40% incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Its purpose is to position Brazilian fashion abroad, enhancing the image of an innovative and contemporary Brazil.

About ApexBrasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve these goals, ApexBrasil carries out diverse trade promotion initiatives aimed at boosting exports and adding value to Brazilian products and services abroad. These include prospective and trade missions, business matchmaking rounds, support for Brazilian participation in major international trade shows, and hosting foreign buyers and opinion leaders to experience the Brazilian production infrastructure firsthand, among other business platforms designed to strengthen the Brazil brand. The Agency also works in coordination with public and private stakeholders to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors to develop the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country as a whole.