ABEST (Brazilian Fashion Designers Association) announces the guild’s new president: businessman Alberto Hiar, from Cavalera (a Brazilian garment and accessories brand founded in 1995). Hiar replaces Paulo Lourenço Bartholomei, from Cecilia Prado brand, which now holds the position of vice president.
“Taking over ABEST presidency is one of the biggest challenges in my career. I want to continue the excellent work done by the previous management, where we won new partnerships, associated brands and visibility in the foreign market”, says Alberto Hiar.
The result of the election was announced on April 27th, and the new board will remain in office for the next three years. “During this term of office the new board and I will work on ABEST’s great potential to be a spokesperson for Brazilian fashion for the benefit of our members,” adds Hiar.
Created in 2003, the Brazilian Fashion Designers Association aims to strengthen and promote Brazilian design and fashion. Currently, the non-profit association has more than 120 brands across Brazil and they export goods to 57 countries. For these international actions, ABEST places the image of Brazilian fashion abroad via Fashion Label Brasil, a Brazilian fashion internationalization program in partnership with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments).
“Our main focus is to continue to trade internationally, but the domestic market is still a priority. We want to expand our public and private resources, to show that the fashion industry is one of the strongest sectors of the economy and generates jobs ”, emphasizes the new president.
ABEST Board
President: Alberto Hiar (Cavalera)
Vice President: Paulo Lourenço Bartholomei (Cecília Prado)
Executive Vice President: Gustavo de Almeida Assis (Lapima)
Treasurer: Renata Jorge Tinelli (Fernando Jorge)
Faced with the worldwide pandemic scenario caused by the new Coronavirus, we find ourselves living in a world that even science fiction did not foresee. The world halted. Our industry suffered the same fate. We are all housebound and using our creativity to keep our business afloat.
Our shoes, handbags, costume & high jewelry manufacturing and sewing workshops came to a halt. Many of them are still running, but have shifted their focus to manufacturing masks and scrubs to be donated to hospitals and health care professionals in their regions. There’s a pressing question in the air: how are we going to release our winter collection on the market? Part of the new collection is already manufactured and part is suspended due to social isolation.
The arrival of COVID-19 made us reflect on a subject that has long been in the minds of 100% Brazilian, artsy and belonging to the so-called slow fashion movement brands. Why do we have to follow this crazy -from fast fashion brands- fashion calendar? Why, after just 15 days, the pieces that are on the racks or in the windows are considered old and we have to release and sell an entirely new collection? Our product is not that perishable; its shelf life is way longer. We make pieces to last, to be worn today, tomorrow, the next year and so on. Why winter sales need to happen when the season starts in July and the summer ones when our thermometers are above 30 degrees Celsius?
Who buys a collection to sit months in the closet? Few, very few people do.
With this matter in mind, the Brazilian Fashion Designers Association (ABEST) together with seven of the most important showrooms and small trade shows in São Paulo (Salão Casamoda, Contemporâneo Business, Feira TM, Maria Eugenia Showroom, Conceito +, Novo Showroom and Fashionroom, with the support from SPFW, InMod and FFW) established a new fashion calendar.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wholesale sales will take place on the following dates:
• Summer: from the second half of June until July 10th
• Winter: second half of November
Retail:
• Winter sale: August 2020.
• Summer sale: February 2021.
After this difficult period that we are living, we imagine a more realistic scenario for our industry. We suggest wholesale sales from 2021 on running as follows:
• Summer in May.
• Winter in November.
Retail sales will remain in February and August.
Nossa missão é ser porta-voz global do Design de Moda Brasileira, utilizando sua diversidade criativa como elemento de integração, geração de valor e tradução da transformação cultural da sociedade.
CONTACT
Av. Paulista, 1842 – North Tower – Sala 155
São Paulo/SP – CEP 01310-945
WhatsApp +55 11 97562-5798
claudia@abest.com.br
www.abest.com.br
