Brasil Eco Fashion Week to go on in December 2023
The 7th edition of the only Brazilian sustainable fashion week claims for “Eco-Innovation and Sustainable Development”
The Brasil Eco Fashion platform takes place in São Paulo from December 7th to 9th, the 7th edition of Brasil Eco Fashion Week (BEFW), the most significant sustainable fashion attraction in Latin America.
With free public participation, the event brings together educational and inspirational themes and actions with parades, business fairs, exhibitions, and entrepreneurship activities. For the first time, BEFW will occupy the imposing Frei Caneca Convention Center, close to Avenida Paulista. The workshops will continue at Unibes Cultural, on Rua Oscar Freire.
With the theme “Eco-innovation and Sustainable Development,” BEFW addresses environmental and social issues throughout the production chain, including clean technologies such as renewable energy, recycling, energy efficiency, and new materials. Applied from the perspective of organizations, eco-innovation, in addition to increasing the performance and competitiveness of a company, brings social benefits, helping to guarantee fairer wages and safe and healthy working conditions, especially in this sector in which 60% of the workforce is women, according to data from the Brazilian Textile and Clothing Industry (ABIT).
“It is undeniable that fashion is an important industry in the economy, especially when it comes to employing women, but at the same time, the industry’s traditional practices have a devastating impact on the environment,” highlights Rafael Morais, executive director of BEFW.
Sustainable fashion offers a path to reconciling the economic importance of the fashion industry with the urgent need to protect our planet. “The event is a space to inform and influence decisions in the fashion industry’s production chain to make it more fair and responsible.”
Fashion shows, brand launches, business fairs, entrepreneurship awards, lectures, and workshops cover the fashion production chain
Since its first edition, the event has highlighted the diversity of Brazilian fashion. There will be 24 designers on the catwalk, representing all regions of the country. The fashion show should launch the brands Altair Santo (SE), Elis Cardim (BA), Moda do João (MA), Projeto Algodão Paraíba (PB), and Ventana (SC), in addition to those that have already participated since the first edition, such as Demodê (MA), Sioduhi (AM) and We’e’ena Tikuna (AM). Nordestesse, a group of brands already established in the Northeast region, is also participating in BEFW for the first time.
The Algodão Paraíba Project, created by the Natural Cotton Color brand, involves eight municipalities in the semi-arid region. More than 600 hectares of planted area involve around 300 farming families gathered in rural settlements and quilombola communities in Paraíba. Cotton is grown under a guaranteed purchase contract from other states by textile and clothing companies. The parade will feature pieces from these companies that promote the project.
Clean Beauty
Brasil Eco Fashion Week prioritizes relationships with organic, natural, and sustainable brands and products in all editions. With beauty coordination by Diego Américo, a pioneer in makeup and hair done with clean products, the fashion shows have organic beauty with a point of connection with the brands’ concept and the event’s purpose. “Sustainable beauty is already a reality and must go hand in hand with fashion, redefining it with awareness of its impacts.” Diego Americo
Eco Market features around 60 consumer displays, with brands from various Brazilian states. In addition, there will be emphasis on production from the Amazon and the Pampas. The idea is to highlight initiatives that integrate elements from these biomes due to the importance of preserving local biodiversity.
In this 7th edition, the Renner Institute promotes the “Moda More Sustainable Fashion Entrepreneurs Pitch” after selecting ten women-led designer fashion businesses. On December 8th, during BEFW, the entrepreneurs will present their proposals to the judges. The first three placed will receive cash prizes as an investment in the business.
Other activities that significantly impact the public are the content generated by the event through lectures, launches, exhibitions, and workshops involving various topics about the fashion production chain. The workshops’s schedule will be at Unibes Cultural, an essential space on Rua Oscar Freire that has hosted BEFW since the first edition.
BEFW is an event that demonstrates that it is possible to produce fashion sustainably and inclusively. In this way, it invites everyone to reflect on their consumption habits and adopt more sustainable practices. It is an essential and inspiring event that aims to share knowledge, foster connections, and contribute to positive change in the fashion industry.
International support and emphasis on circular economy highlighted
BEFW and Instituto Febre in the Circular Culture project
Among the activations of the 7th edition, BEFW and Instituto Febre, a platform that explores the intersections between climate, gender, and fashion, present “Experiência Moda Circular,” an innovative space within the event, resulting from the collaboration between Brasil Eco Fashion Week, Instituto Febre and Royal College of Art. Space resulting from the selection of the event in the British Council’s ‘Circular Culture’ call will offer immersive experiences related to a sustainable culture approach. Its purpose is to stimulate the understanding of the fashion consumer as an active agent in the circular economy.
Spaces and exhibitions at the 7th edition of Brasil Eco Fashion Week
Within the theme, the BEFW setting highlights the Circular Lounge, a rest and integration space developed in partnership with the Plataforma Circular and Cotton Move app. In this area, the floors, furniture, and vases were produced from Brazilian natural latex thermoplastic and jeans waste and brought partners and projects focusing on circular economy and recycling.
The space called Innovation Space: Next Materials is curated and, in partnership with the Institute of Technological Research of the State of São Paulo (IPT) and Senai CETIQT, presenting, for the third time, innovation and materials that involve everything from natural and artisanal processes to startups and innovative projects in the fashion industry such as technologies such as traceability and blockchain.
When it comes to exhibitions, this year, the sustainable fashion and design exhibition, called Sebrae Mostra Moda Brasil Eco, held in partnership with Sebrae Nacional, will present pieces from 27 states that stand out for having responsible practices towards people and the environment in the business cycle.
About BEFW
The annual event is a pioneer in promoting sustainable fashion produced in the country. The event is a meeting point for professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts who share a common interest in transforming the fashion sector towards sustainability. Since 2017, it has been committed to offering a space for the presentation of creative and innovative solutions in the field of fashion, promoting business and the connection between brands and suppliers committed to sustainability.
Sponsorships and support
The 7th edition of BEFW has master sponsorship from Lojas Renner, backing from Mercado Livre, co-sponsorship from Vert, and support from Sebrae Nacional, Senac, Palma, British Council, and Vasart.
