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Sources

Top Brazilian Designer Sees Mass Fashion Opportunities

Alexandre Herchcovitch, one of Brazil’s top designers, says the future of fashion in this Bric country is in clothing the rising middle class -- even if he won't ever stop making super-expensive stuff for the super-rich.

O Boticário show during São Paulo Fashion Week (O Boticário SPFW)
O Boticário show during São Paulo Fashion Week (O Boticário SPFW)
Vivian Whiteman and Pedro Diniz

SÃO PAULO - "Lets get real..." As São Paulo Fashion Week kicks off, one of Brazil's most acclaimed designers, Alexandre Herchcovitch, says his industry must redirect its eye toward the country's growing middle class -- and even those just rising out of poverty. "This is the rule for those who want to survive in Brazil," he affirms in the following interview.

FOLHA: What do you think of some fashion designers suggesting a separation between commercial and conceptual brands in Brazil's fashion weeks?
HERCHCOVITCH: When you are aware of what you are doing, you don't have to be afraid. My role models are in New York. There some brands that have been showing polo shirts for the past 120 years. Sorry, I don't need to ask Paulo Borges Fashion Week organizer for special treatment for my brand. And who will play God to know which one is good and which one is less good? Each designer has to take care of his own stuff, do his best and be brave enough to show it.

What do the final consumers want?
Let's get real. Brazil has enough expertise to make popular clothes for lower classes. We have to look at this reality. I was taking a shower today and wondered "what do I sell the most and the least?" I don't sell so many dresses that cost R$10,000 ($5,000), but I won't give up making expensive dresses. Still, those who want to survive nowadays in Brazil have to make products for middle and lower-middle class customers.

How is it to compete with international luxury brands?
Our clothes are not as good as theirs. It's hard to compete, and we don't have the same quality of fabrics. If we buy those fabrics, the clothes get too expensive. I do the best I can, while making it possible to sell in Brazil.

And who are your customers?
I don't know well. I've tried to do this "Brazilian female style," but I'm not good at it. That's not a problem, though, the country is huge, and there is a variety of tastes. My brand has conquered its own space. If I focused more on serving the lower classes, I would have more customers, but I don't know how to do it, so I just adjusted my expectations.

Read more from Folha

Photo -O BoticárioSPFW

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Future

Livestream Shopping Is Huge In China — Will It Fly Elsewhere?

Streaming video channels of people shopping has been booming in China, and is beginning to win over customers abroad as a cheap and cheerful way of selling products to millions of consumers glued to the screen.

A A female volunteer promotes spring tea products via on-line live streaming on a pretty mountain surrounded by tea plants.

In Beijing, selling spring tea products via on-line live streaming.

Xinhua / ZUMA
Gwendolyn Ledger

SANTIAGOTikTok, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, has spent more than $500 million to break into online retailing. The app, best known for its short, comical videos, launched TikTok Shop in August, aiming to sell Chinese products in the U.S. and compete with other Chinese firms like Shein and Temu.

Tik Tok Shop will have three sections, including a live or livestream shopping channel, allowing users to buy while watching influencers promote a product.

This choice was strategic: in the past year, live shopping has become a significant trend in online retailing both in the U.S. and Latin America. While still an evolving technology, in principle, it promises good returns and lower costs.

Chilean Carlos O'Rian Herrera, co-founder of Fira Onlive, an online sales consultancy, told América Economía that live shopping has a much higher catchment rate than standard website retailing. If traditional e-commerce has a rate of one or two purchases per 100 visits to your site, live shopping can hike the ratio to 19%.

Live shopping has thrived in China and the recent purchases of shopping platforms in some Latin American countries suggests firms are taking an interest. In the United States, live shopping generated some $20 billion in sales revenues in 2022, according to consultants McKinsey. This constituted 2% of all online sales, but the firm believes the ratio may become 20% by 2026.

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