The 31st edition of INSPIRAMAIS, the trade show that will launch over a thousand innovative and sustainable materials for the footwear, apparel, automotive upholstery, furniture, and jewelry industries on January 21st and 22nd, marks the return of the fashion supply chain after the impacts of the floods in May 2024. Due to the climate catastrophe that devastated Rio Grande do Sul, last year the event had adapted editions in Taquara/RS and in São Paulo/SP in July.

Returning to its original format, which has made INSPIRAMAIS nationally and internationally recognized as the only launch show for the fashion industries, the event returns in January 2025 to Porto Alegre/RS, at the FIERGS Events Center. Accreditation is free for industry professionals and national and international buyers and is open on the website.

With 150 exhibitors of various materials, who are expected to welcome more than 7,000 visitors over the two days, INSPIRAMAIS offers more than just business and collection launches; it provides an intense program of high-quality content. This year, the major new features are partnerships with the Central Única das Favelas (CUFA) and the engagement of the automotive upholstery sector, which, in addition to a presentation, will exhibit a car completely refurbished with materials presented at the show. “The versatility of materials is a new rule for the components supply chain in Brazil. In addition to footwear, we have solutions for the most diverse sectors of the economy,” says Silvana Dilly, the superintendent of the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear, and Artifacts (Assintecal).

Press Conference

Opening the show on the 21st will be the traditional press conference of the event’s promoting entities: Assintecal, the Center for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (Abit), and the Brazilian Furniture Industries Association (Abimóvel). In addition to the leaders of these entities, the press conference will be attended by representatives of the show’s supporters, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). The event, which will take place at 11 a.m., will present the initiatives carried out during INSPIRAMAIS.

Burnout

After the press conference, the Inspirations 2026_I presentation will be held, highlighting the research theme that gave rise to the more than one thousand materials presented in the Conexão INSPIRAMAIS space, located at the entrance of the event. The coordinator of Assintecal’s Research and Design Hub, Walter Rodrigues, will talk about the research methodology and especially about this year’s theme, Burnout. The stylist anticipates that the theme will emphasize the “broken doll” aesthetic, which presents a depressive and artificial picture reflected in fashion through a mix of Victorian styles, the fetish of a closed society, and science fiction and high technology, with the predominant role of Artificial Intelligence. The presentation starts at 1:30 p.m.

Amazon Rainforest at INSPIRAMAIS

One of the show’s highlights will be the presentation of materials produced by artisans during the Mission Acre. The presentation of 18 types of materials from the Amazon rainforest and their applications will take place starting at 2:15 p.m. on the first day.

Primus Award

Concluding the first day of the event will be the delivery of the Primus Award, a traditional initiative by Assintecal to recognize companies that have excelled in the areas of innovation, sustainability, design, and export. On this occasion, the newest companies certified and recertified by Origem Sustentável will also be announced. This is the only program in the world that certifies ESG practices for companies in the footwear supply chain. The awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m.

CUFA

On the second day of INSPIRAMAIS, the 22nd, one of the most anticipated presentations of the edition will open the show at 10:30 a.m. Titled “The Social Side with CUFA Experiences,” Pablo Dalavera (CUFA’s municipal coordinator in São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo), Eduardo Pereira Cardoso (CUFA’s coordinator in Esteio), and Josemar Demenech (Senior Analyst at Sebrae RS) will discuss the organization and its more than two decades of existence. The presentation will focus on the Favela Holding initiative, a group that supports CUFA and includes over 20 businesses focused on the favela, which has become its economic arm.

Automotive Sector

Starting at 1:15 p.m., another unprecedented attraction will take the stage in the arena where the presentations will be held. For the first time, a presentation on automotive upholstery will take place at INSPIRAMAIS. The panel will be led by Rafael Bonvicine (Cipatex) and will feature Gustavo Araújo (GV Bancos), Leandro Roberto (Leandro Capotaria), Nicole Malagueta (influencer), and Kairon Oliveira (Kairon Race) as guests. The experts will talk about the applications of materials presented at the show in the automotive sector.

International Business

In this edition of INSPIRAMAIS, Assintecal, through Brazilian Materials—the export support program for the sector maintained by the entity in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil)—will bring 23 international groups to conduct business at the event. In addition to this project, a delegation of 11 Peruvian entrepreneurs is expected at the 31st edition of the show to learn about—and purchase—components manufactured in Brazil.

Luiz Ribas Júnior, Assintecal’s International Market Manager, says that the groups were selected to participate in the Buyer Project based on their business potential. “Together, these companies produce more than 5.3 million pairs every month. These are groups that come to Brazil seeking sustainable and innovative solutions in adhesives, synthetic laminates, embellishments, PVC compounds, laces, zippers, elastics, and other materials to supply their factories,” he reports. In this edition, the Buyer Project includes groups from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Paraguay. The project is expected to surpass the business generated at the last edition of the show in July, when more than US$ 6 million was generated from both on-site sales and business opportunities that were lined up.

Themed Spaces

Traditionally, one of the show’s highlights is its themed spaces. Right at the entrance of the event is the Conexão INSPIRAMAIS space, where more than a thousand innovative materials developed from inspiration research led by Walter Rodrigues, coordinator of Assintecal’s Research and Design Hub, are presented. Also a fixture at INSPIRAMAIS are the Hub Conexão Criativa, which exhibits materials developed by micro and small companies, cooperatives, designers, and artisans, and the Preview do Couro, which showcases the main new developments from Brazilian tanneries.

Alternative to Large Shopping Centers

This year, a new space will be the Open Design Independente. For the first time in its history, INSPIRAMAIS will have a space focused on B2C business, aimed at the final consumer. The exhibition will focus on fashion accessories, jewelry, and home decor. The goal of Open Design is to be an alternative to traditional malls and stores, providing contact with high-quality products produced in Brazil by small entrepreneurs.

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. More information is available on the website.

SERVICE 31st INSPIRAMAIS Date: January 21 and 22, 2025 Location: FIERGS Events Center, in Porto Alegre/RS – Av. Assis Brasil, 8787