A BIKINI AND A PAIR OF HAVAIANAS: THE ULTIMATE BRAZILIAN OUTFIT IN FASHION NEWS

In the eyes of Brazilians, it is custom to change bikinis every day and to only wear Havaianas flip-flops on their feet…This statement outfit becomes cult throughout the world, as explained by Barbara Casasola and Hervé Pinot, director of Havaianas France.Brazil is synonymous with nature, the beach and the sun. These three elements, plus the obsession with body image, have quickly made swimwear one of the nation’s statement pieces. And it is Brazilian tradition to change your bikini every day.

BRAZILIAN FASHION: DESIGNERS ENJOY INCREASING INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

Fashion weeks in Rio and Sao Paulo have come to rival those of other capitals, through the talent and creativity of national labels. Let’s take a look at labels to remember.Fashion weeks in Rio and Sao Paulo have come to rival those in other capitals, through the talent and creativity of national labels.

Guisela Rhein - Model at Work | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

RIO - Model Guisela Rhein of 40º Models is featured in this episode of Model at Work. See Guisela in action and hear what she has to say.

Kamila Hansen - Model at Work | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

RIO - Model Kamila Hansen of Ford Models is featured in this episode of Model at Work. See Kamila in action and hear what she has to say.

Cris Herrmann - Model at Work | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

RIO - Model Cris Herrman of Ford Models is featured in this episode of Model at Work. See Cris in action and hear what she has to say.

Lenny Niemeyer Swimwear Backstage | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

RIO - Brazil's gorgeous swimwear models backstage at the Lenny swimwear show at Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015.

Osklen: Designer's Inspiration | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

RIO - Designer Oskar Metsavaht talks about what inspired the Osklen Summer 2015 beachwear collection.

Osklen Praia Arrivals | Fashion Rio Fall/Winter 2014-15

See Rio's glamorous guests arrive to the Osklen Praia Fall/Winter 2014-15 fashion show at Fashion Rio.

Salinas Swimwear Backstage | Fashion Rio Summer 2015

Backstage before the Salinas swimwear show with designer Jacqueline de Biasi and models Ana Claudia Michels and Cris Herrmann.

Osklen Praia Backstage | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

Backstage at the Oskelen Praia Spring/Summer 2015 show at Fashion Rio. Watch the hair stylists and makeup artists work their magic on Brazil's gorgeous models.

Triya Backstage | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

Triya co-designer Isabella Frugiuele talks about the Triya brand, which is about "freedom, color, and movement", and how well they fit at Fashion Rio. The models wear airbrushed eye makeup. Models Sofia Reising and Carolina Francischini tell us what they'll be wearing in the show.

Ellus 2nd Floor Backstage | Fashion Rio Spring/Summer 2015

Go backstage before the Ellus 2nd Floor Spring/Summer 2015 show in Rio. Models Raquel Radiske and Renata Kuerten explain what they'll be wearing in the show.

Cantao Backstage | Fashion Rio Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

See the models having their hair and makeup done for the Cantao Spring/Summer 2015 show. Model Clarice Vitkauskas talks about her fashion week experience. Model Alessa Andrea talks about how Rio Fashion Week is very Brazilian as opposed to the more Americanized fashion of Sao Paulo fashion week. Telma Azevedo describes the style of this season's collection.

Victor Dzenk Backstage | Fashion Rio Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

See the models having their hair and makeup done for the Victor Dzenk Spring/Summer 2015 show. Model Barbara Fialho talks about what she's been up to lately and what shows she's walking in at Rio Fashion Week. Designer Victor Dzenkn talks about the collection he created this season, inspired by haute couture as well as Brazil's diversity.

TNG Backstage | Fashion Rio Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

See the models having their hair and makeup done for the TNG Spring/Summer 2015 show. Model Karla Correa tells how much she loves Rio. Enrico Paschoal tells us how Rio's botanical gardens inspired this season's collection.

Espaco 2015 Backstage | Fashion Rio

Backstage at the Espaco Summer 2015 show during Fashion Rio. Models get their hair pulled back in a low ponytail that is divided into chunks that then get braided.

Maria Filo Summer 2015 Backstage | Fashion Rio

Maria Filo Summer 2015 show during Fashion Rio. Models get their hair braided with ribbons intertwined in the hair.

New, young Brazilian designers reinvent the concept of jewellery

" With his label Sagrado (meaning ‘sacred’ in Brazil), young designer Danilo Ferreira reinvents the idea of jewellery, becoming a leading light in a new generation of in-vogue Brazilian jewellers with their more simple and more modern creations…includes an interview with Danilo Ferreira.When you think of jewellery made in Brazil, it is often linked to ethnicity, colours, handcrafts and the nature of this immense country. Today, a new wave of young designers dares to try more modern and more original things. This is the case for Danilo Ferreira, who in his Parisian atelier develops his label Sagrado, which means ‘sacred’ in Brazilian, with rough jewellery, based on untreated materials like deer antlers or crystals, glorifying further this link with his country of birth. Includes images of Gizelda Queiroz jewellery, the ateliers of Bia Vieira, jewellers at Dona Coisa, Armajon Biojoais and Danilo Ferreira’s ateliers-apartment. Interview: Danilo Ferrira: Brazil is an extraordinary place; it’s enormous, it’s completely different, each state has its own gastronomy and its own cultural way of developing things, it’s fascinating! I am a young designer and my label is not very well known and my audience is different. It is an audience which loves to give value to something which really has feeling. It is very important for people who wear my things to know what they signify. Otherwise, they have no value. I grew up in a small town, almost a village; there are less than 5000 inhabitants and I was surrounded by this dusty, savage atmosphere so I have certainly kept many memories but beyond this, I try to mix a European side with this memory, which will always be present, I can never hide it. Normally, I chose a material in accordance with the feeling I have with it. All the stones in my collection at the moment are stones found in one place or another that I have visited and that I have travelled to and they are materials that I have a connection with. I think that a product must have energy, otherwise it is dull. Who would want to wear something that has no energy? And so, it is this that I want to put across, something basic and ordinary but also extremely strong. Music free of right/ Bandit & Nikit - 2012.

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.