The 5th edition of Minas Trend Preview, which finished on November 7, once again successfully gathered the press, buyers and fashionistas from around the country in Alphaville – Lagoa dos Ingleses, introducing preview collections by 163 exhibitors for autumn/winter 2010.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Expectations were reached for organizers and brands since the 30% growth was greater in closed business volume compared to preview launches for the winter of 2009. On average, each of the 1100 buyers who passed by the exhibiters’ stands did business worth around R$ 65,000.

According to the president of Fiemg – the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais, Robson Braga de Andrade, “the results of this 5th edition show that the Minas fashion sector is on the right path and that the event is increasingly achieving its objective: to grow the fashion industry and its entire production chain.”

Eloysa Simão, of Dupla Assessoria, the company contracted by Fiemg to produce the event, affirms that “this percentage shows how much the event has grown and how professional it has become, because in only its 5th edition it is already achieving business numbers of events held in large centers like São Paulo and Rio.”
“This success shows we have been able to transmit the idea that to reach the millions you must grow one by one, which is something Minas does very well,” celebrated stylist Ronaldo Fraga, who styled the event’s opening and concept: workshop, at the end of the event.

With a budget 40% bigger than for the last edition, Minas Trend Preview, which generates on average 800 direct and indirect jobs at each edition, occupied 11 thousand m², with 163 exhibitors from various Brazilian cities, and a fashion show hall with 500 seats. At this edition, the event had 18 individual fashion shows, 5 collective shows with accessories and clothing, a special fashion show for jewelry, the release of a book by journalist Lilian Pacce and the 6th edition of the Box Project – New Talents in fashion and design in Minas Gerais. The winner of the latter was stylist Rachel Grandinetti of FUMEC – Minas Foundation for Education and Culture. Her prize will be her participation in the next edition of “Casa dos Criadores”, at the end of November in São Paulo.

Besides national buyers, the event also received store owners from Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. According to Getúlio Guimarães, president of Sindibolsas (Handbags Union of Minas Gerais), “this 30% growth in business is a sign that the event has definitively become part of the country’s business agenda.”

An important indicator that proves the event’s success is that, according to surveys held during the event, 51.5% of the public present at Minas Trend Preview came specifically to do business, 39.2% to see the trends, 7.9% for networking and only 1.3% for other reasons. “The main objective of the event, which is to promote business, stands out with these numbers,” adds Robson Braga de Andrade.

Another factor that proves this growth was the broad journalistic coverage it received over the past week. Besides the local press, which grew in number and genre, since nowadays blogs have become vehicles for opinion formers in the fashion market, this edition also received 100 fashion journalists from around the country, as well as 13 journalists from abroad.

The next edition of Minas Trend Preview will introduce the trends for the Spring/Summer of 2010 during the first half of May 2010.