Sao Paulo Fashion Week opens with supermodels on the way
Supermodels Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen and Raquel Zimmerman are scheduled to hit the catwalk for the Sao Paulo Fashion Week, Latin America's top fashion event which kicks off Tuesday.
The two Brazilian beauties, Bundchen and Zimmerman, are sure-fire headline-grabbers for the summer collection unveilings that are to run to July 23.Campbell's appearance though is not certain. The 38-year-old British celebrity is due to appear in court Friday for allegedly assaulting a police officer at London's Heathrow airport on April 3. Her runway assignment in Brazil is set for the following day, Saturday, for the Rio de Janeiro label Colcci.
Brazil today counts the biggest Japanese community in the world outside of Japan itself, estimated at 1.5 million people, most of them living in and around Sao Paulo.Kenzo Takada, the 68-year-old veteran designer and founder of the Kenzo label, was present at the opening media conference.
"Japan is a country which has historic importance in the world of fashion," Borges said."Up to the 1960s, fashion was concentrated in Europe. In the 70s, Kenzo Takada brought about the birth of a new style of fashion, creating a watershed moment," he said.
"He opened the door to everybody who wanted to get into car fashion."
As well as the 49 shows on the program, the fashion week is featuring three Japanese-themed exhibitions: one displaying 20 kimonos from different eras; another showcasing works by Kenzo, Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons; and photos by Cristiano Mascaro.
A thematic warm-up for the fashion event was held late Monday following the media conference with a show by the Japanese label Mintdesigns, founded by designers Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi.Their collection featured models wearing rough-hewn or flimsy fabrics over fantasy shoes and topped with headwear in the form of balloons or wigs made from paper confetti.