Can Brazil Be a New Hub for Denim Production?
MILAN — For a long time, the denim industry concentrated its production hubs in countries like China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mexico. But over the years, various factors led denim manufacturers to spread the supply chain and start to source from countries like Turkey, India or in Eastern Europe.
Recently the industry also has been eyeing Brazil for diversification.
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“Brazil is poised to become a major player in the global denim industry,” said Denim Première Vision director Fabio Adami Dalla Val. “With a population of over 200 million people, a youthful demographic, and a strategic position within powerful economic blocs like Mercosur and BRICS, the country offers tremendous growth potential.”
In fact, as a founding member of Mercosur, Brazil benefits from reduced trade barriers with Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and other partners of the region, and this facilitates the flow of raw materials, finished goods and expertise, strengthening the supply chain within Latin America.
The demographics play a key role, since a significant portion of Brazil’s population is under age 30 and drives trends in casual and streetwear, mainly denim, particularly in workwear and cowboy styles. The influence of Japan, which helps drive the country’s denim identity, is also to be considered, since Brazil has the largest population of people of Japanese origin outside of Japan. Additionally, younger consumers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and innovation, aligning with global fashion shifts.
Vicunha, the largest producer of denim and denim color in Latin America and ranked among the top three companies in the sector globally, was founded in 1967 and aims to implement an ethical and sustainable approach throughout its operations.
Among the company’s main innovations are products that use 100 percent recycled water in the denim and twill production process. This innovation is made possible thanks to the VSA treatment station, which purifies urban domestic wastewater for industrial use, eliminating the need to source water from natural springs. Another major highlight is the Regen line, which uses cotton grown with regenerative and ecological farming practices, reducing the amount of water used but also improving soil health.
German Alejandro Silva, chief marketing officer of the company, said, “At Vicunha, our commitment goes beyond delivering high-quality fabrics; we provide complete solutions that foster creativity and sustainability in jeans wear fashion. Since our inception, we have consistently worked to create mutual value and promote best practices throughout the jeans wear network. Additionally, we play a vital role in the fashion supply chain and in promoting more conscious consumption, raising the bar for sustainability within the sector.”
Vicunha is also committed to supporting various small brands, designers, seamstresses and fashion entrepreneurs, offering them a way to start or enhance their businesses.
Noteworthy is its capsule collection in collaboration with Italian chemical supplier Officina39, launched in 2024.
Officina39 was planning an expansion in the region through small collaborations with local mills. “Thanks to a regular analysis of the business landscape, which allows us to understand which markets to develop or to activate new ones, we started to explore Brazil two years ago,” said chief executive officer Andrea Venier.
Following the successful collaboration with Vicunha, Venier and sales manager Marco Nava went to Brazil to analyze the market through visits to denim mills. During that time they understood that although Brazil was a fairly closed market at a local level, there was rising interest in products that were on trend and sustainable at the same time.
Ciro Carnevalli, a veteran in the denim and local market, was chosen as the company’s sales technical manager in S?o Paulo and tasked with starting distribution, presenting samples to potential new clients. The most requested were those made with the responsible production process Aqualess, a new all-in-one enzyme water-free and 100 percent pumice stone replacement.
Through this new process, the stone-washed and authentic vintage looks come from conventional machines, at room temperature. Other benefits are outstanding abrasion and high contrast effects, low environmental impact and anti-staining properties, and a better blueish cast compared to pumice stone, without the labor-intensive process of removing it.
This process is suitable not only for indigo and black denim but also for garments treated with Officina+39’s premium dyestuffs. On the fashion side, companies were interested in the “Zero PP,” a technique that creates vintage and worn effects on denim without the use of potassium permanganate; the “deterpal bluecast” that prevents post-bleaching yellowing and graying by improving the blueish cast of denim through detergent, washing-off and oxidizing properties, and the marvel coating that gives denim and other fabrics distinctive effects, from cracked, to vintage and draping.
“Considering the arrival in Brazil of international brands — such as H&M — which will forward new demands and have new needs, Officina39 wants to help local companies to be able to provide quality and at the same time innovative and sustainable products,” Venier said.
For sure, Brazil is facing criticism since investigations have raised concerns about practices not completely aligned with environmental and labor standards, particularly in the production of cotton in the Cerrado region. The country in fact is the largest producer of Better Cotton-certified fiber globally, accounting for 42 percent of the worldwide volume.
Furthermore, high import duties and logistical obstacles limit Brazil’s global reach even though the country has big export potential. The country’s proximity to other Mercosur nations makes it an attractive hub for regional and international distribution. Key export markets include Latin America, the U.S. and China, while Europe presents more challenges due to Brazil’s complex trade regulations.
“At Denim Première Vision, we remain focused on the Latin American market, particularly Brazil, carefully evaluating tangible solutions to support our partners in navigating the opportunities this dynamic region offers. Denim Première Vision has always been at the forefront of tracking the evolution of the denim supply chain and identifying global trends that create new opportunities for its partners,” Dalla Val explained.
He highlighted that the fair had already recognized the importance of Brazil before the pandemic, organizing key events there. In the November 2023 edition of the fair, Ana Paula Alves, denim expert and founder of Be Disobedient, a denim focus creative consulting company, hosted a panel on decoding the Latin American jeans wear market.
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