Rio de Janeiro: an upcoming and trendy city

" With its new concept store ‘Dona Caisa’, its niche hotels situated at the heart of the trendy Santa Teresa quarter and its immense luxury mall, Rio de Janeiro has recently become a city of hype. A report including interviews with Jean-Michel Ruis, Igor Saboia and Gabriel Palumbo…Rio de Janeiro is renowned for its legendary beaches, its sugarloaf and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. But beyond the clichés, this metropolis retains its more inconspicuous corners which have become the coolest parts of the city. This is the case for the Santa Teresa quarter, with her winding, cobbled streets, spectacular views of the bay and old colonial houses that attract a new, dynamic crowd including a Frenchman, the owner of atypical hotels… Situated in the Botanical Garden area, the ‘Dona Coisa’ presents itself as part of the hype concept store in Rio. You will find a variety of products ranging from food to clothes, lots of them with the stamp ‘Made in Brazil’. Brazil is the new Eldorado of South America. Host of the upcoming 2014 Football World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, Rio becomes a leading travel destination, attracting more and more people. The dynamics are developing and the world of luxury steps up to this. For example, a new mall opened in 2012 that now houses all the international luxury brands and Brazilian labels. With a champagne reception and a theatre, this large, designer shopping centre situated in the Barra area heralds a new era for this ever-changing city. Interview: Jean-Michel Ruis: Welcome to this place which is like a Belle Époque residence, so a traveller arrives in Rio and really feels as if he is in a local home, so all the furniture and all the details are Brazilian. It is not a modern, boutique hotel like the ones you see today. Igor Saboia: We sell Brazilian brands but we choose the artist here, we always try to find new artistic talent that has a level of quality and beauty. There are many different things; this is a home, you can relax in the garden, you can drink coffee and talk, sometimes we can have lunch here and make a meal. It’s a very relaxed place to have very good moments and to buy things or not. Gabriel Palumbo: This huge mall is a unique place in Rio; it gathers all fashion brands, international brands and top national brands so we are very glad that we were able to construct a mall like this in Rio. Music free of right/ Bandit & Nikit - 2012.