The 31st edition of INSPIRAMAIS, the trade show that launches over a thousand materials for the footwear, apparel, automotive upholstery, furniture, and jewelry industries, served as the stage for the launch of the Respira Acre project. The event took place from January 21st to 22nd at the FIERGS Events Center in Porto Alegre/RS.

The project, promoted within the scope of Brazilian Materials—an export support program for the components sector maintained by the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear, and Artifacts (Assintecal) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil)—consisted of an immersion into the culture of the state of Acre to identify biomaterials sourced mainly from the Amazon rainforest.

During the event, the project’s coordinator and consultant for Assintecal’s Research and Design Hub, Marnei Carminatti, presented the resulting book to the president of ApexBrasil, Jorge Viana. Visibly moved, Viana, a native of Acre, highlighted the excellence of the work proposed by the agency to Assintecal, which led to the identification of 18 biomaterials that can be applied in the footwear and accessories sectors. “The work done has a soul, and for that, it’s moving. It is necessary to know the potential of the forest to preserve it and also to generate income for an entire community of indigenous peoples involved in the process,” he said.

Carminatti, in turn, presented the project which identified biomaterials like natural fibers from buriti, banana trees, and burrs, in addition to a great diversity of applications with seeds from açaí, jarina, and tucumã, as well as the sustainable extraction of latex. “We learned a lot; in the forest, we are all illiterate. There is a paradise for creatives, full of textures, colors, and ancestral design,” he commented.

The Respira Acre project has an exhibition at INSPIRAMAIS, where visitors can learn about—and even purchase—some of the products developed by the communities in Acre.

Fashion

INSPIRAMAIS also served as a stage for the traditional presentation of the Burnout research, which guided the development of the thousands of materials exhibited at the fashion show. According to the research coordinator, Walter Rodrigues, Burnout brings a “brutalist” scenario that reflects a world of wars, hatred, discord, and fatigue. “It seems surreal for us to talk about fashion in this environment, but fashion needs to resist, and we need the strength to get out of this state,” he said. Emphasizing the strangeness and underground tone of the theme, the stylist highlighted the influence of international designer Rick Owens’s aesthetic, which presents instability in the system and shows how “fatigue” reaches the end consumer.

In the context of Burnout, Rodrigues highlighted the “broken doll” aesthetic, which presents a depressive and artificial picture in a closed society with a predominant role for Artificial Intelligence. In the materials, one can see many ties, elongated and pointed heels, shiny finishes, and buckles and zippers. In the color palette, Rodrigues highlighted darker tones such as navy blue and eggplant.

The Show

Promoted by Assintecal in partnership with the Center for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit), and the Brazilian Furniture Industries Association (Abimóvel), INSPIRAMAIS is organized by Brazilian Materials and supported by Sebrae Nacional. Registration for visiting is free and open on the website at www.inspiramais.com.br.