In the words of Walter Rodrigues

Walter Rodrigues training is mainly self-taught. In the late 70's, Walter started to work in the fashion world getting involved in several projects, being a stylist, or taking care of the clothes and accessories or the arts direction in editorials, catalogues and films. In 1992 Walter launched its own brand and presented shows in the main fashion weeks in Brazil (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and in Paris. Since 2012 Walter has been working with Assintecal, the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear and Manufactured Goods. He coordinates Assintecal's Design and Research Center where he dedicates his time and focus to study the consumer behavior and the relationship between economics, politics and the arts in general, and how this all impacts product choices and fashion.

“Assintecal Design Project has always been a challenge for me, and at the same time a space where I could grow and learn every day. The importance of the understanding of design, as a way out of the crisis in the footwear sector that occurred with China's entrance in the markets was decisive for the choices we made in those fifteen years. Establishing fashionable materials, capable of constituting creative and profitable collections, has always been our goal. Since 2009, Inspiramais has been a hall of innovation, made by designers for designers. The participating companies, important players in this history, systematized their manufacturing processes of materials, based on the research developed by the Assintecal Design and Research Center, thus offering quality, innovation and sustainability to visitors. Inspiramais today is where Brazilian fashion begins, and is an important reference for the fashion market in Latin America”.

According to Walter Rodrigues, Inspiramais is an unique project for its integration of the fashion sectors and given the research done which unifies components, allowing all the developed materials to follow consistent colors, textures and patterns, facilitating and streamlining the process of manufacturing clothes, footwear, handbags, jewelry, furniture and cars.

With the last edition of the event is still fresh in our heads, we have asked Walter to summarise the main features of teh concept behind the show Inspiramais and all the projects develope: “We have three stories to tell, all of which follow the Pyramid Product Methodology, in which each step is vitally important. Thus 10%, 30% and 60% signal the innovative experience, the processing of this innovative experience and the massification of innovation, making it accessible to the general public. In the experience, in this edition, we presented the theme of Play, and as part of that we urge people to rethink fashion, a bit tired and without enchantment: an eager to always sell more has generated commercial products without any creative impact. The main idea of Play is fun and irreverence. Looking to bring back the consumer that every day is more disenchanted and has avoided consuming. The other sense of Play is to go ahead and not look back, and we feel that is precisely what we need in Brazil now. In the 30%, we present our perception on the force of Technology and Nature, in the theme Alchemy. Here the importance of elements rich in textures and finishes strengthens the idea that at that moment the modelling of products is not the most important, thus highlighting the materials. In the massification represented by the 60%, we discussed the importance of folklore, handcrafted traditions, the renewed animal print and the baroque aspect full of touches of the 90s, we also pointed out the new game of primary colors and the importance of volume in modelling, ornaments and soles”.

With such a combination of ideas and elements in mind, we have asked Walter about the main challenges this industry is currently facing, and we weren’t surprised by his response: "It is all focused on the need to learn how brands and companies can talk to the new consumers more attentive to the transparency of the industrial process and also more sceptical about the messages they are receiving”. In Brazil, in particular, Walter believes the biggest challenge is to resume growth, reducing costs and still be sustainable, creative and inspiring, so that consumers are given true interesting and multiple choices. Making them choose the Brazilian fashion.

For more about Inspiramais 2020_I follow this link and read the article about this edition of the event.