Recently Denimsandjeans held a webinar with representatives of some reputed important denim industry professionals from Brazil and discussed “How the Brazilian denim industry has adjusted to the covid situation and is coming back on its feet.”

Panelists :
1)Sueli Pereira – Communications and Trends Manager – Santista Textil
2)André Duarte : Laundry Manager Riachuelo
3)Vivian David : Fashion columnist and Editor – Guia JeansWear
4) Maria José Orione -Academic Director – Denim City SP

The talk was co-moderated by Sandeep Agarwal from Denimsandjeans.com  and supported in organization and moderation by Vivian David .

Here are the key takeaways from the WEBINAR. Watch the full video here .

ANDRE DURATE

Working in Riacheulo – a large retailer in Brazil, Andre mentioned about how digital buying was getting more and more important where people were not used to it before.

“Facing new challenges especially in our company. New kind of behaviour as the customer changed his way to buy – they are now using cell phones and computers to buy. Everything is a new challenge but we are facing these with a good opportunity to preserve our customers and what actually changed is the way we are dealing with the same problems.”

He also mentioned about how fast they improved their E-Commerce

” We felt that this virus will grow before it really did and in two weeks we had to improve our e-commerce and we did”

On products ordered by customers he mentioned

“Some different products coming to all our orders as everybody is buying more pajamas for example. We are trying to promote more products looking for comfort things as everybody’s in home. So this is the thing that how our company is working on. We are doing what is necessary to make our customers isolation experience more comfortable”.

Andre also stressed that they are working on a very important solution to sanitize the garments after production and also at their shops. He said they are very close to finding the solution.
“More clever consumer is coming up . This is not the era of changing – its a change of Era. Its not a new chapter, its a new book ! We are going to be more human . Sustainability issue is changing – its going to either you are sustainable or you are out of biz. “

He also stressed on how technology

“We could say this few years ago but nowadays we can make a pair of jeans using only a litre of water it is totally possible and we have technology but it’s not fashioned and it needs to be fashioned, it needs to be cool. This is one of our main goal- how to make it greener ,how to make it better, how to make a very sustainable product with fashion. Because first of all I have to change your sight, you have to look it and fall in love.”

Andre was positive that the impact on younger generation will be big and in a positive way. He was also positive about how sustainability will become more important.

MARIA JOSE ORIONE

Maria stressed on the continental dimensions of the Brazilian market and does not have the best income distribution.

“We have several types of consumer profiles so those with lower
incomes raised purchase products for basic necessities such as food .This
type of consumer was the one which had the biggest loss of income in this moment. So I think this kind of consumers is out of the buying nowadays but the medium and high levels of consumers of income, they are still adapting to this new type of digital consumption.”

She also felt that the consumption will reduce and there will be more adaption in the coming times. She also mentioned about supply chain consolidation possibilities in Brazil.

“Supply Chain Consolidation: Brazil had a very big consolidation about 10 years ago. But it didnt work well. Organized market in Brazil is not huge and there is a split market . The way retailers run in the country will not change.”

She also felt that Brazil was the only country in southern hemisphere with supply chain from Cotton to Retail and felt it would not be much time before it bounces back.

SUELI PERIARA

She spoke about the status of fashion in Brazil,

“I think a fashion is being strongly impacted because fashion is not essential items for consumer . There has been a 96 percent drop in classical consumption decision. So also I think you had the problem that the digital change channel area is too very little exploited here, making things worse so you have to learn fast and adapt to this situation but I think it will change a lot for us. “

“Big challenge for us to review business model to seek new solutions . Everybody is working hard to find the solution but on the other hand
I assure you we will come out of this stronger with many solutions in many sectors .”

She also spoke about increased demand for health products

“Customers are looking for health products. Challenge is how to make it possible in an industry where the garments have to be washed. Need to give more value to the products. “

Also she hoped that a new wall is not created between economies. She also mentioned that since Santista has two segments – Denim and Workwear , the latter received an increase in demand. Though denim has been slow, it is returning back a little.

She also spoke about sustainable initiatives in Santista

” We have the upcycle in process, a project aquasafe that reduce more than 78% water in the process of industry. We also have replant system in our mills and we use this kind of plantations in our factory to not use any kind of chemicals to do these. “

VIVIAN DAVID

Working in Guija Jeanswear magazine and closely connected to all segments of industry , she mentioned about how companies are trying to survive with most employees working from home.

She was positive about Brazil and the industry bouncing back :”

“Customers will celebrate and look for stylish clothings and not just essentials once this crisis is over as Brazilians know how to put aside the problems and move ahead. More affordable clothing will be important. “

She also spoke about how many companies are shifting to mask production to cater to its demand and keep on going their productions.

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Brazil’s denim mill – Vicunha Têxtil  reveals the early trends for Spring/Summer 2018 with their product lines manufactured from 100% BCI cotton. VICUNHA has invested its energies in new technological advancements to introduce their collection :  Denim at its best!

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is THE MANTRA for a large number of buyers and suppliers in the changing global eco-financial environment. Some companies however try to take this mantra a step ahead . Vicunha finds it  one of the most important pillars  and has been the focus of their activities for more than ten years now. The Vicunha Team stresses this point :

“ All VICUNHA denims are distinguished by 100% BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton. The recycling process is so efficient that there is no waste at the end of the production and therefore we can claim to produce zero landfill. In fact VICUNHA is the largest individual consumer of BCI cotton in the world and uses around 100,000 tonnes a year. For SS2018 we will be launching a new range of ECO RECYCLE fabrics, this range incorporates waste yarn , recycled back into the spinning process to create new yarn, options are set to be available in both stretch and rigids. The key to good recycled yarn is consistency, this is difficult to achieve, however as VICUNHA create this in house under strict control, we are able to achieve exacting standards. The range of fabrics to be offered also includes options that also use less water in the making. The number of eco styles is continuing to increase and VICUNHA is ahead of the game, this is Eco power at its best!. Here are some of our products made in eco – sustainable way .  “

DRYYARN TECHNOLOGY

With the new Dryarn technology, Vicunha is bringing a high-performance denim with temperature-control effect to the market. The company claims that the fabrics can be worn for high-performance sports in all weather conditions and It also uses a really lightweight yarn that is not only comfortable to wear, but is able to keep you warm when the conditions are cold and cool when the conditions are hot . This further blurrs the boundaries between casualwear and sportswear.

SHIRTINGS AND LIGHTWEIGHTS

With newly woven textures and visual effects, Vicunha pushes forward on a range of lightweight shirting / dress fabrics for spring/summer 2018 . According to the company ,

“The current trend for retro-modern patterns is reinterpreted in fabrics with patchwork effects in multi tones and textures with irregular slubs in the warp and weft that emphasise the characteristics of the fabrics. Texture features strongly in the collection, fresh small dobby’s and herringbones which when coated further emphasize and enhance the structure of the fabric in wash. As a contrast VICUNHA also incorporate a lightweight papery finish shirting which provides an excellent base for prints. “

DUAL-CORE TECHNOLOGY

In the premium denim range the focus of Vicunha is on dual-core technology, high-performance denim with perfect recovery. The company asserted that these are in fresh summer blues perfect for the new season.

About Vicunha

Vicunha Têxtil S.A. is, in terms of annual sales level, the largest Brazilian enterprise in the textiles and clothing sector. Vertically integrated, Vicunha is engaged in spinning,weaving, and knitting textile fibers, dyeing and printing fabrics, and making garments. Its products consist of filaments, yarns, denim fabrics and twills, natural- and synthetic-fiber knitted fabrics, synthetic woven fabrics, and ready-made articles of clothing. Each one of these areas constitutes a business unit. Vicunha has offices or subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, China, Argentina, and Colombia and exports its products to 80 countries.

Vicunha is the largest denim company in terms of actual production , not only in Brazil but around the world , and it does have a sizeable influence on the consumers – often creating trends for their domestic market. On the occasion of the launch of their AW16 collection, I visited Sao Paolo to get a feel of their products, the trends and Brazilian market in general. The launch had all the glam ingredients including a catwalk by some great looking Brazilian models, presentations by specially invited denim guru Adriano Goldschmied and also by Giovanni Petrin of Martelli , presence of international consultants , washing experts and of course visitations by most important Brazilian buyers – estimated to be over 2000 over a 3 day period ! . The whole atmosphere was electric – flowing with the energy of denim aficionados.

We bring in this article, some looks from the show , the products, the presentations – to give a feel of the event.

Some Catwalk Images

One of the most important part of this visit worth mentioning was the visit to the biggest farm  that I have visited in my life. A thrilling 2 hour flight from Brasilia in a 4 seater plane took us to the farm in Bahia with the pilots managing with twists , turns and ducks to avoid the heavy water laden dark clouds and occasionally giving the jitters .  We reached the farm and landed on its own airstrip – it has 2 for its own fleet of planes used for spraying chemicals, pesticides ,  etc . With a total area of about 50,000 hectares and producing cotton and soya , it is not easy to comprehend  the actual size of this farm. If this farm had a 1 km width, it would be 500 km in length !! The farm had actual in farm road length of about 400kms (within its actually cultivated area of 30,000 hectares)- a massive operation by any standard and managed by its staff of about 200 people.  The farm had some great arrangements for all the people who stayed there  and looked more like a resort than a farm house. The workers, as we understand from them, were paid salaries higher than the minimum of about $310 regulated by the govt.

We went around the farm and had a look at their operations and how they controlled such a huge area . The farm was highly mechanized with latest machines to manage the large area besides a few planes to help in sowing . The sowing system was well planned to ensure that the seeds could be sown in a way that they could be harvested in right sequence so that the subsequent processes could be aligned and timed when the crop matures. The harvesting machines were huge , dwarfing even tall ones (!) , and could harvest over 20 hectares in one day.

With  a large in house ginning plant , the farm could gin its own cotton . One of the interesting feature of the ginning plant was the high level of security features , mandated by the govt. , which added to the costs of ginning but made the ginning process  safer. Worker safety regulations in Brazil are stringent and seem to be strictly enforced by the govt.

Many of the farms in Brazil are circular in shape. This is a unique shape (normally minimum 100 hectares )and  is specially made to ensure easier irrigation. If you notice there is a large pipe going through the radius of the farm. This huge pipe – sometimes in few km  length- ensures that each part of the farm is irrigated equally and at same time.

Sustainability

Cotton production in Brazil is mainly controlled by the ABRAPA – the Brazilian cotton grower’s association. The association has its own certification whereby it provides the right methods of cotton production and certifies the farms following the parameters. There has been a benchmarking process between ABRAPA and BCI. It is an agreement  allowing for the grower to obtain, at their discretion, the BCI licensing together with the ABR certification. This is an important development for Brazilian growers whereby they are able to give BCI certification to the final user of cotton (like mills) easily. Thomas Dislich (Director Europe, Vicunha)  mentions that this is a very positive development and enables them to give BCI certificate to their customers for most of their production and is helping them to make their own contribution towards sustainability.

Coming to the visit to Vicunha mills which I was eagerly looking forward to, it was a pleasure to visit their plant at Fortaleza – probably the largest denim plant at one location worldwide- besides the other plant at Natal. Vicunha is the largest denim producing company worldwide with over 15 million mtrs of production per month. Brazil, as a whole , has an annual capacity of about 650 million mtrs pa in denim.  The company gives high priority to employee welfare and I understand from the senior executives that the cost of benefits given to them is almost equal to their financial salary.  Among other benefits to workers like medical, family welfare, air conditioned transportations, it was good to note that all the workers to top management had lunch in the large and very well equipped canteens  arranged by the mgt. – signifying the importance given to all employees.  One of the interesting feature of the plant was the recycling done of the dyed waste generated at the plant. A large, indigenously designed plant, converted the dyed yarn waste into fibers and these were used in the right combination with the raw cotton to generate regular denim but with a recycled component.

The above images show how the dyed yarn waste is converted into sliver and then yarn. This yarn is further used for further dyeing and to get the desired product. The company mentioned that it was a regular process with them and it ensured them to recycle most of such waste and to create better qualities for their customers.

Sao Paolo , the next destination – is a city with a very cosmopolitan and trendy vibes. A city supposed to be populated with over 20 million people – is a city in love with denim. Most of the people – whether males, females or children – wore denim in some form or another. Brazil is actually supposed to be having highest per capita consumption of denim worldwide . Fashionable women could be seen in trendy flares , capris , dresses, jackets, skirts etc in a wide variety of washes – distressing being one of the most common one.

Another highlight of the visit was the occasion of launch of Denim Special Edition  C&A by Vicunha . This special collection was created by Vicunha for C&A . Focused on Premium denim, the collection bets in different shades of blues, black and grey with super stretches, fabrics that reinforce the return of authentic denim and light items of hosiery.The launch was marked by presentations and panel discussions – Panorama Denim– at Vicunha showroom ( a lovely place) with people like Ian Berry of Denim Art fame, C&A Brazil Product Director and others contributing their views on denim industry.

The actual launch took place in a C&A store in the evening with the fashionistas and who’s who of the industry being present. The collection , in some cool washes, was targeted for customers looking for premium denim at cool prices .The collage below reflects some looks and moments from the launch .

The visit to Brazil would be incomplete without mentioning the visit to their large wholesale market area in central Sao Paolo , alongwith my friend Andre Duarte who kindly took me there, which has thousands of shop selling denim and other apparel to retailers who come from around the country. It was interesting to see the huge and highly organized wholesale market  focusing on denim on such a large scale. Many people there claim that it is the largest denim wholesale market around the world.

On the whole a very eventful trip that enabled me to have a glimpse into what Brazil is all about . The country works and lives with  its own rhythm  and it has a very distinct aura of its own. I found most people very warm and welcoming and one feels at home immediately. The pace of life is relaxed in most cities and people take their time working hard and enjoying at the same time.  It was quite an experience feeling this country and I thank Thomas Dislich and all at Vicunha for kindly arranging the memorable visit.

Visionary, entrepreneur Nelson Alvarenga invested in Jeanswear market yet when it came to creating this market in Brazil . The era of the 70s was a time when the young generation fought for freedom of expression and, in this spirit, the Ellus was born in 1972.

Five years later, the five pockets denim brand became an object of desire. Then came other hits, such as canvas jeans, colorful and stone-washed, “the stone washed jeans the” and these were brought to Brazil by Elus. Today, Elus is synonymous with bold and authentic Jeanswear. Present throughout Brazil, the brand is also distributed in Europe, Middle East, Latin America, the U.S. and Asia.

Some images from their past collections

We are giving herebelow some latest F/W’14 looks from the brand. What is interesting is that the double denim looks dominate . Dark deep dyed denims, subtle grays , formal styling and some intensively creative and different looks are the key features from the collection .