Universal Trends, Latin Twist

The summer season in São Paulo came with a winter twist. The days were hot and sunny outside, but inside, Bienal designers covered up the curves and invested in a sartorial sensuality seen on structured high waists and cascading jersey drapes — especially in the back. Technoluxe fabrics were also a hit, and most shows presented at least a hint of something processed and shiny — sheer plastic silks were protagonists for trenchcoats.

Menswear calls for attention, and in the hands of Alexandre Herchcovitch, it captured the obscure atmosphere from European fall trends. However, it’s summer, and the mood for romance, flowers, and carnival is always welcome, as seen at the Isabela Capeto, Gloria Coelho, and Neon shows. It seems that Lino Villaventura and Alexandre Herchcovitch, however, have fallen under the spell of a sinister inner world evoked by European a/w ‘07-08. Villaventura went for a ghostly, all-white collection inspired by the dreamlike aesthetic of Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto; we’re accustomed to seeing Villaventura’s baroque girls in haute couture, but it was surprising to observe his refined craftsmanship on masculine suits that came with unique textures constructed with multi-patchworks of lace, tiny pleats, embroideries, and stitching techniques. The grand finale came with ensembles cut out in a camouflage-like design and completely embroidered with white beads.

On a much more somber path, Alexandre Herchcovitch’s menswear resuscitated rock ‘n roll’s dark times. As in a collage, Herchcovitch morphed punk, streetwear, classic menswear, and S&M. Imagine models made up with scary Kiss faces parading with spiky black boots, black double-breasted suits paired with dogtown tanks, hardcore metal accessories, and skinny pants and Bermuda shorts with S&M corselet-lacing details. Attention also goes to Herchcovitch’s metal necklaces, made of chains with long feather pendants — they gave an obscure shaman spirit to the designer’s rocker boys.

Menswear also gained a refreshingly lighter version, as seen in Igor de Barros’ V.Rom. His men are relaxed and in a good mood, represented by easy pale colors, tiny flower embroideries, and Vichy prints on wrinkled blazers paired with washed cobalt jeans. Tapered pants — a major trend for men and women also at Isabela Capeto and Zoomp — were a hit, and V.Rom made utilitarian and clochard versions of them that looked cool and commercial. In the same breezy and fresh mood, Paula Raia and Fernanda de Goeye’s Raia de Goeye, a feminine, fairy-tale inspired collection, reflected nymphs in loose, fluid, cotton-gauze dresses with deeply cut V necklines, voluminous unstructured smock tops with uncovered backs, and girlie bubble-hemmed skirts, all underlined by soft leather linings that also starred as straps and belts. The duo’s collection felt a welcome respite for soft sensuality. Cropped Aladdin pants, also used by Fabia Berseck, gave an edgy style to the collection that came in natural fabrics such as silk, cotton gauze, and cotton eyelets with spiral designs, and was colored in a washed-away palette of Post-It yellow, mint, light gray-purple, and mildly dusted green.

Romance is also in the essence of Isabela Capeto. For this season she’s found inspiration in horticulture. On a catwalk composed of big nets filled with lettuce, lemons, green apples, and parsley, Capeto did what she knows best: sent down contemporary ladylike designs with a strong sense of proportion and special care for details. Cute botanical and gardening prints were a hit, as were the puffed sleeves with hive-designed finishings, carefully pinned with contrasting beads, and ruffled details seen on knee-length skirts and pinafore dresses that mixed either contrasting colors of tulle or different textures. Special notice goes to the golden foil prints resembling tree bark and to the patchwork skirt with the collection’s palette of burnt hues of orange, red, green, blue, pale pink, and coffee. In a partnership with Levi’s, Capeto embellished its colored jeans; the same color-denim concept was used in the Ellus 2nd Floor debut collection.

For its womenswear show, Herchcovitch played with tuxedo elements. Accessories such as satin cummerbunds, bow ties, and silk facings used as necklaces were added to Herchcovitch’s egg-shaped silhouette and worked as precise contrasts for the palette of classic black and white, lime, and carnation. In fact, the messy carnation’s petals were represented in the upper extremes of egg-shaped skirts, dresses, and sleeveless tops.

Osklen is in a good mood and back to its beach roots. Oskar Metsavaht pursued the "carioca" essence with a futurist twist. Think of long, unstructured skirts with a stiff high waist, paired with simple loose jersey tank tops. Men looked elegantly relaxed wearing clean all-white suits with mandarin collars, jersey tank tops with mildly draped armholes, or simple denim-colored linen shorts accessorized with nude leather belts and chamois shoes. The palette was minimal, composed of light gray, black, and white cheered up by a rainbow-colored degrade print — another big trend at many shows. Major attention went to Osklen’s spiral hats — a simple accessory with a modern summer spirit.

Maria Bonita also exhaled a coastal but urban breeze with her strong, fragmented graphic prints. The best pieces came in trenchcoats and sartorial suits made of sweatshirt fabric. The tropical summer mood was not forgotten in great prints shown at Neon, Andre Lima, and swimwear at Água de Coco. In its usual ’70s-glam spirit, Neon presented a carnival-inspired collection, working with masks and abstract confetti prints. Lima went for a tribal mood, with scribbled bird prints, and lots of contrasting color blocking. His mini satin dresses with major bubbled drapes in the back were especially impressive. Água de Coco presented some great cruise wear, showing off ethnic and nature prints on mini-tunics with wide sleeves. Gloria Coelho also worked with confetti prints, reminding us of the great carnivals past and yet to come. Her acid pink, green, blue, and yellow mini-gowns, textured with swatches laser-cut in mask designs, resumed the sartorial but hip spirit of the upcoming season.

-Flavia Mendonça

Photos:
Alexandre Herchcovitch s/s ‘08
Lino Villaventura s/s ‘08

V.Rom s/s ‘08
Isabela Capeto s/s ‘08
Neon s/s ‘08
Olksen s/s ‘08