Naif17 issu p

AN UNUSUAL MAGAZINE FOR UNUSUAL PARENTS

TYLE BRAZILIAN S 4,50€ issue# 17 SPRING/SUMMER 2014

00018 >

8 480002 035040

www.naifmagazine.com

In 2002, a stylish, shoe-obsessed Australian dad set out to create the ultimate baby shoe for his daughter – and that’s just what he did. Crafted of soft, 100% genuine leather inside and out, Tip Toey Joey shoes allow baby’s feet to breathe, grow without restriction, flex and grip naturally – and feel deliciously comfortable. Tip Toey Joey´s Autumn/Winter 2014 range celebrates Brazil and it´s mixed-race people. Arriving by train just as Brazil´s immigrands did in the village of Paranapiacaba where Charles Miller first brought football to Brazil. This is where Tip Toey Joey´s inspiration of its latest collection - The owner of the Ball - comes from.

OFICINAS Y SHOWROOM: c/Mèxic 32, 08004 Barcelona, Tel.+34 933227314 e-mail: INFO@coordonne.es TIENDAS COORDONNÉ: Barcelona:

Juan Sebastián Bach 10, 08021 Barcelona, Tel.932010531 Madrid:

Núñez de Balboa 57, 28001 Madrid, Tel.915760963 PRINCIPALES DISTRIBUIDORES: ÁLAVA SUSANA ARMAS DECORACIÓN T.945156122 / 635706212 Vitoria-Gasteiz ALBACETE ISABEL AVENDAÑO DEC. Y RESTAURACION DE MUEBLES T.967444141 La Roda ALICANTE BOUTIQUE PAPEL PINTADO T.965247408 Alicante FABIOLA JIMENO Y MAYTE RUBIO INTERIORISMO T.966363068 / 687803431 San Juan de Alicante ALMERÍA PICCOLO'S T.950270329 Almería SUPINBOX T.950633051 / 627498532 Albox ASTURIAS ABOLENGO DEC. T.985170358 Gijón GOA T.984110770 Avilés BADAJOZ DECO-KSA T.924554830 Zafra BARCELONA DIJOUS T.934145798 Barcelona LOBER T.938498744 Granollers NOVO T.937981751 Mataró ENFANTS ET MAISON T.936744704 / 693517040 Sant Cugat del Vallés BURGOS BEGOÑA STYLE HOUSE T.947205087 Burgos LEAL DECORACIÓN T.947274918 / 947207940 / 947204540 Burgos CÁDIZ ALVARO LINARES INTERIORES T.956228973 Cádiz YERADA DECORACION T.956901544 Cádiz CANARIAS DECORACIONES DE LEÓN, S.L T.928812292 Arrecife-Lanzarote MACOSA T.928472073 Las Palmas ESTUDIOS SHOW-ROOM INTERLEY T.928287127 Tafira alta-Las Palmas WISTERIA T.922248228 Santa Cruz de Tenerife CANTABRIA LAS HADAS VUELAN T.942313282 Santander HORTIGON T.942232217 Santander CASTELLÓN MIRA QUE LUNA T.964254495 Castellón SALA BRAULIO T.964210354 Castellón CÓRDOBA VICTOR MOLINA T.957404565 / 957403966 Córdoba CORUÑA ASTHOR DECORACIÓN T.981935584 Santiago de Compostela MANEL SELECCIÓN T.981240069 La Coruña GRANADA XITIN T.958270230 Granada GIRONA ART I DECORACIO T.972212502 Girona GUIPÚZCOA TELAS Y PAPELES T.943421584 San Sebastián EKAIN T.943821325 Éibar JAÉN LA MECEDORA T.953261311 Jaén LA RIOJA OTRAFORMADEVERLASCOSAS T.941102063 / 620804486 Logroño PINTURAS MATIAS JADRAQUE T.941209856 Logroño RV DECORACIÓN T.941244822 Logroño ANA Mª CALVO DECORACIÓN T.941380244 Arnedo LEÓN BIO ESTILO T.987220682 León DECORACIÓN ANGER T.987201067 León EN LAS NUBES T.987220168 León LOS VEGAS T.987410587 Ponferrada LÉRIDA TARROS PINTURES I DECORACIÓ T.973271611 Lérida LUGO GLORIA SANZ T.982255656 Lugo INNOVA T.982410180 / 982809314 Monforte de Lemos MADRID BB THE COUNTRYBABY T.914118948 Madrid CARRILLO T.914415071 / 915752726 Madrid GASCO TELAS T.916949013 Madrid SUEÑOMUEBLE T.913249687 Madrid EGO DECORACIÓN T.918925599 / 607154007 Aranjuez BUTRAGUEÑO T.916961212 Getafe LA FÁBRICA DE SUEÑOS T.666514420 Las Rozas ALBOROQUE DECORACIÓN T.916397937 Majadahonda DECORACIÓN INFANTIL MURIELLE T.916344717 / 680503726 Majadahonda ARES BABY T.916719940 San Fernando de Henares MÁLAGA LA ALBAIDA T.952229672 Málaga MATICES DECORACION Y PINTURAS T.952503022 Vélez Málaga MEDINA AZAHARA T.952227919 Málaga NAVARRA HABIT T.948151483 Pamplona PALMA DE MALLORCA INTERLAR T.971780206 / 971282370 Palma de Mallorca INTERLAR BEBES T.971458309 Palma de Mallorca KIDS HOME T.971728473 Palma de Mallorca LA OCA T.971721510 Palma de Mallorca PONTEVEDRA LA CASONA T.986424104 Vigo PANTALLAS SILCA T.986295034 / 886114974 Vigo UCHA DEC. T.986848378 Pontevedra ESTABLECIMIENTOS OTERO T.986526011 Cambados INTERIORES DOMO T.986306646 Cangas SEVILLA DECOTEXTIL CALATAYUD T.954271852 Sevilla LA HABITACIÓN DE INÉS T.954458577 / 633090555 Sevilla DI & CHI DECORACIONES T.955660707 Dos Hermanas CORTINALIA T.954129779 Montequinto DK DECORACIÓN T.677418131 Utrera TARRAGONA THE DIFFERENT HOME INTERIORISMO & DECORACIÓN T.977116520 Reus TOLEDO LINEA JOVEN T.925216640 Toledo MUEBLES MARISOL T.925480495 Consuegra PAPEL PINTADO BY LA CASA DEL PINTOR T.925722065 Talavera de la Reina VALENCIA PAPELES PINTADOS GALIANA T.963523103 Valencia VALLADOLID BY STEFANIE INTERIORISMO T.983291462 Valladolid MUEBLES OROPEL T.983268470 Valladolid NAN-YES T.983202423 Valladolid VIZCAYA MINISUITE T.944015018 Bilbao CLAUDIO S.L DECORACIÓN&COLOR T.946612224 Bilbao ESTUDIO DE DEC. Y PROYECTOS ITXASO ZARANDONA T.944416530 Bilbao VAP DECORACION T.944218251 Bilbao MARTIN REMIRO T.944374613 Barakaldo ZARAGOZA BARBED SELECCIÓN T.976568074 / 976554012 Zaragoza IDEAS DECORACIÓN T.976378609 Zaragoza LA CASITA DEL ÁRBOL T.976568375 Zaragoza VENTA ONLINE bloompapers.com entelados.es

www.coordonne.es

Papeles pintados infantiles

sCARTA AL LECTOR

You’re probably reading these English words with a frown, thinking you’ve bought the wrong magazine... but this is not the case. Naif is almost 6 years old, a great age to learn another language, which will enable us to communicate with many more people around the world and make lots of new friends. Valentina, our daughter who features in every editorial, went through this language learning experience some time ago and it’s been fantastic to see how that has given her the tools for her hard, daily work - playing and meeting other children wherever she goes!

Here in Brazil, making friends is the national sport and it is practised almost everywhere: in playgrounds or bars, on the bus or even while you are queueing at the supermarket... Everywhere there is someone with a smile, someone eager to talk. Brazil is certainly a very special country and that’s the reason why we have decided to focus on it in this issue of Naif. This is a land full of cultural nooks and crannies, where the light filters and reflects a spectrum of complex and wonderful colours, like the chords of Samba.

Joseán Vilar

Tale Juliana

Books

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34

40

46

52 Decoration Memory home

Florence Rolando Pirouette’s moodboard

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Report The descendants

Dreams

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Photography Claudia Andujar

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Report Nanny’s eyes

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Interview Danilo Miranda

14

Escaparate

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Entrepreneurship Mi mamá me cuida

10 Contributors

SUMMARY

DANILO MIRANDA

NANNY’S EYES

CLAUDIA ANDUJAR

He is one of the greatest cultural directors in the world. This sociologist has earned international fame because of his leadership of SESC São Paulo, a government-sponsored arts funding organisation.

She worked most of her life as a nanny, but this is a minor detail in her biography.

In fact, she was one of the greatest street photographers of the 2Oth century.

For more than three decades, she has spent long periods of time living with -and taking photos of- the Yanomami tribe, one of the most isolated peoples on the planet.

Mr. Culture

Vivian Maier

A story of commitment

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70

74

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100

102

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Report Brazilian vinatge memories

Travel On th road, BR 232

Fashion

Fashion

Fashion report Spanish fashion sells abroad

Art The Aviatrix Project

Fairs European tour

Testimony An indonesian touch

Design Kudu, a unique creature

Design Our Yearbook

Spanish texts

Sports & Photograhpy Jogo bonito

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THE DESCENDATS

BR-232

SPANISH FASHION

Today, there are almost 1.5 million people of Japanese descent living in Brazil - more than in any other place in the world outside of Japan. Among them are the Minamis.

If Jack Kerouac had decided to travel with his daughter around Brazil, he would have written something about the BR-232. This road connects the east and west of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.

Spanish brands are sold from Tokyo to New York, from Stockholm to Abu Dhabi. Kid’s fashion from Spain can look forward to a bright future‌ if it keeps on selling abroad.

Meet the Minamis

On the road

Selling abroad

next issue AUTUMN/WINTER 2014

CONTRIBUTORS

GREICE COSTA - JOURNALIST “My son, Jojo, was born 5 years ago, and from that moment on my world has become more colorful. I love to do things with him and with my husband, Pit. For me, ‘naif’ means curiosity and positivity. That’s the best way to live!”.

HELENA SASSERON - ILLUSTRATOR “Naif is something that improves all kinds of relationships... it’s like a filter that turns anything into a sunny day and a happy face. Naif is the kind of thoughts, actions or people that the world needs at the moment”.

ROBIN LURIE - PROOFREADER ”When my son was born I realised I was still a child, but with grey hair and wrinkles!”

PLINIO RIBEIRO JR. - JOURNALIST Plinio defines himself as someone who is eclectic. Born in São Paulo, he has lived in New York and Lisbon before settling in Paris, where he now lives. For him, naif is a state of mind, a playful and poetic way of approaching life.

PIOTR MOTYKA - PHOTOGRAPHER “Naif like a child Naif because I believe Always believe Believe in dreams They say, “Don’t dream- Only naif dream!”

I’m naif”.

TIM MARSELLA - PHOTOGRAPHER Tim cannot be bothered to write a bio.

He is not good at spelling and would rather just take pictures... or make ice cream.

magazine DIRECTOR Silvana Catazine silvana.catazine@naifmagazine.com josean vilar josean@naifmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR Silvana Catazine EDITOR JESÚS ANDRÉS jesus@naifmagazine.com ADVERTISING RESPONSIBLE MÓNICA MERCÈ monica@naifmagazine.com ISSN 1889-738X

COLUMNISTS FLORENCE ROLANDO ROGER OMAR RICARDO RENDÓN DESIGNER ALEX ZITZMANN CONTRIBUTORS Writers: Renata Faccenda, Grethel Signamarcheix Photography: Noemi de la Peña, Ruy Teixeira, Matteo Cinti, Piotr Motyka, Camila Miranda, Claudia Andújar, Vivian Maier, Stylists: Christina Kapongo, Julie Vianey, Ellie Lines Illustrators: Lorota, Orna Schwartz Art Director: Liz Sheppard, Joanna Bernacka Proofreader: Robin Lurie

Naif is not responsible for the opinions put forward by contributors.

Total or partial reproduction, distribution, public communication or modification is prohibited without writte authorization from NaiFactory.

Distribution -Spain Iberpress España S.L. Distribution - International EXPORTPRESS Printed by VILLENA ARTES GRÁFICAS Edited by Naifactory BARCELONA Calle Vilamarí, 33 2º 4º 08015 - España ++ 34 675 616 646 SÃO PAULO Rua Cristiano Viana, 1161 conj. 81 - 05411-002 - Brazil ++ 55 11 2538 6816 www.naifactory.com

COVER Photography: Tim Marsella (Smith Represents) Fashion Editor: Ellie Lines

naifactory.com

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DREAMS

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Greedy moths.

I dreamed that I woke up in the morning and saw that all my clothes had been eaten.

In the corner I saw a giant moth the size of a bed, it flew away.

I went to school feeling ashamed and saw that everyone was naked. It was really funny!

(Carmen / Valencia, Spain)

Dream illustrated by Orna Schwartz for elmonstruodecoloresnotieneboca.

www.elmonstruodecoloresnotieneboca.com

Cochecitos

Sillas de paseo

Sillas de coche

Para tu bebé, salir de paseo o ir en coche son los momentos más excitantes del día. Y compartir su excitación, su asombro por el mundo que descubre con ojitos emocionados o, por qué no, su sueño profundo, agotado y feliz, hace que para ti también sean momentos inolvidables. Por eso ponemos tanto esfuerzo y cariño en crear los mejores cochecitos y sillitas. Porque si tu bebé no disfrutara de vuestros paseos con la máxima comodidad y total seguridad, no te gustaría tanto salir. Ni a él tampoco.

Hamacas

Complementos

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PIROUETTE’S MOODBOARD

X X X

By FLORENCE ROLANDO

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Pirouet t e

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ELIAS & GRACE

Miller, Kidscase, Pepe, American Outfitters, Lucky Fish, Atsuyo et Akiko…over 50 cool brands available on the brand new Elias and Grace website. eliasandgrace.com

SALT WATER SANDAL Water and salt resistant : the ideal sandals to go to the beach in style. sunsansandals.co.uk .

PETIT RETRO

LITTLE CABARI

Viva Brazilian fashion!

This wallpaper brings a piece of the jungle to children’s bedrooms.

petitretro.com.br

WOLF & RITA This birds print collar can be worn on top of t-shirts or underneath a sweater. wolfandrita.com

SEVERINA KIDS Two sizes for this beautiful mum & daughter tote bag.

Made in Peru, in certified Organic Cotton. severinakids.com

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LOROTA

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AN ‘APPMAZING’ TALE This is a new way of telling stories. It’s similar to a classical comic strip, with each of its drawings, but it is not printed on paper: it is showcased on the screen of a smartphone or a tablet. Since it uses the Instagram app interface, instead of vignettes, the plot is narrated using pictures, which are uploaded at once. Brazilian graphic designers, Juca Calheiros and Karen Zlochevsky -who own the Lorota design studio- , are responsible for this amazing project. “We love to draw -assure they both- and we think that everything in this world is much more interesting when there’s an illustration related to it”. So far, they have drawn three stories that can be read on their Instagram profile (instagram.com/lorota). The last one -next to these lines- has been written by Júlio Cavani and is starred by a couple of unusual friends: a lion and a rabbit. What type of story will they put up next?

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NAIF BOOKS

X X X

abracadabrallibres.es

By RICARDO RENDÓN

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books

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El ABECEDÁRIO de kate y Cat

Martín, de grumete a capitán

Photos: Andy Prokh Text: Lata de Sal Publisher: Lata de Sal

Text: Arianna Squilloni Drawings: David de las Heras Publisher: Thule

This is a photo album that shows the everyday life of a little girl and her cat, with a touch of fantasy, poetry and tenderness. A letter from the alphabet and several words associated with it are the perfect complement for these beautiful pictures. A great gift for every one in the family!

Trik trak

Hilda y el trol

Author: Stephan Lomp Publisher: Mamut

Author: Luke Pearson Publisher: Barbara Fiore

The drawer where Martin keeps his treasures is the gateway to a fantasy world. In this adventure, he discovers everything that unites (and separates) his world and Beba’s, his little sister. Illustrated in a comic style, this charming story can be read over and over again.

This clumsy little bulldozer, the star of this cute story about construction machines, enters a restricted area and happily avoids many incidents but accidentally also causes chaos!

To put everything back in its place, he must get over his own fears.

Hilda is an independent and determined girl with a very vivid imagination. She is the main character of a series of books: a second volume of which has recently been published in Spanish. Her wonderfully illustrated adventures are full of sea ghosts, wooden men and trolls!

Soy un artista

La invasión marciana

All aboard train puzzle

A long way away

Author: Marta Altés Publisher: Blackie Little Books

Author: Catalina González Vilar Drawings: Miguel Pang Ly Publisher: A buen paso

Drawings: Marc Boutavant Publisher: Chronicle Books

Author: Frank Viva Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

A little boy can’t stop creating because everything inspires him! Where his mum sees mess, he sees exquisite pieces of art. “Soy un artista” has graceful drawings and a hilarious plot...It’s sure to become a classic!

Martians are among us everyone knows that! The central character of this book will tell us how it all started and how the seemingly impossible became normal. This beautiful story is a mixture of wonderful drawings and a great sense of fun.

This box contains a real treasure: a magic trainpuzzle, whose pieces can be put together in a thousand different ways. The best of all are the drawings by Boutavant, who has created a unique, magical experience in each of the carriages, with lots of little hidden secrets waiting to be discovered.

Frank Viva invites us on an amazingly colourful and unforgettable journey from start to finish, a journey that can be made in two different directions: from outer space to the depths of the ocean or the other way round, depending on where you start reading this book.

T +39 055 36931

bimbo@pittimmagine.com ph.Michele De Andreis

design Laboratorium mmxiv

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Baby Essent ials

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HELPING THE WORKING MOMS This group of women, who work for the same company, are a perfect example how it is possible to balance having a family and a career . They’ve recently launched a foundation to support other working mums.

By Susan March

Marcela del Hoyo gave birth to her daughter, Sophia, in 2008 and was inspired to set up Babyessentials, a company, which develops and distributes a huge number of products for babies, from strollers to cradles or infant car seats. Since 90% of the workers in the company are women, achieving a balance between family life and work has always been an important issue for its founder and her team. From the very beginning, Marcela implemented a fair and supportive system that works well: when a worker becomes a mum, her timetable is adapted to facilitate breastfeeding and she can bring her baby to the office for at least up to a year. Marcela claims that this is totally compatible with the pressure of modern working or with the internationalization strategies of the company. The next step of the company has been the launching of the Babyessentials Foundation ‘MI MAMÁ ME CUIDA’ (in Spanish, ‘my mum takes cares of me’), which was created to support other working mums and to develop initiatives aimed at promoting the right for mothers to take care of their children in the workplace.

professional project or need a helping hand to get back to. In addition, it provides legal advice and a job placement service.

One of the foundation’s most ambitious ideas is to cooperate with companies in order to promote breastfeeding, nurseries in the offices and flexible working hours. So far, they have created two online campaigns that have had an enormous response. The first one urges companies to create “Cradle Rooms”. The workers could use them to bring their babies to the office for at least twelve months. The newborns would be looked after by professional childminders. This would not be an extra cost for the company because students working as interns could be used.

Another campaign is an online petition calling for a change in the Spanish Laws governing parents’ rights and asking the government to establish a legal framework for parents. This would guarantee mothers and fathers the right to take time off, when necessary, in order to care for sick children, attend school meetings, doctor and dentist appointments etc. Workers would “refund” the hours through a flexitime arrangement.

According to this new regulation, mothers and fathers would be entitled to several hours absence from work in order to take care of their children. That time would be dedicated to school meetings, visits to the doctor, etc. Workers would recover those hours in a flexible way, so the company wouldn’t be affected.

If a company collaborates enough with these kinds of initiatives (breastfeeding, flexible working hours, nurseries at the office, etc), the foundation would award it with the “AMA” seal they have created. Though the Babyessentials Foundation ‘MI MAMÁ ME CUIDA’ has just started out in this area, it hopes to help to construct a better world for both mums, dads and kids.

But how does the Foundation work? Among its many plans, it is going to offer courses for mothers who want to start a new mimamamecuida.com

clothing, deco & design for kids

Find a store: Spain - France - Italy - Belgium - Switzerland - Netherland - UK - USA - Korea ...

www.nobodinoz.com

GIOTTO BÉ-BÉ Ready, steady... color!

BAMBI CHAIR Hey, deer...

This set includes twelve great superpencils, twelve pens and two supersharpeners. They are all certified as safe to use for children under 36 months and are dermatologically tested. The box is made of safe hardwearing plastic.

Wooden Bambi chair by Takeshi Sawada, handmade by EO Denmark.

Takeshi was inspired by Bambi, the famous Disney cartoon character. wannekes.com

filahispania.es

NOBODINOZ Evolutionary cradle

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LORENA CANALS If only they could fly...

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These carpets are almost magical. The new collection by Lorena Casals can transport you to another universe: when you put your feet on them, you can feel the softness of a cloud and escape to an imaginary world.

This cradle evolves... into a bed! Nobodinoz, the Barcelona brand for kids, is glad to present its new design furniture collection. Every single piece has a timeless design with minimal, retro lines and five color options, carefully chosen, to be daring and different, for modern family homes. Each piece is perfection in every detail: This european FSC solid beech wood product is developed with care and perfection. Robust and safe furniture that is made to last.

lorenacanals.com

nobodinoz.com milimbo.com

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EFVVA Made in Poland

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This growing Polish brand for little individualists produces a limited collection of clothes and shoes, personally designed and finished by the painter Ewa Wrobel-Hultqvist. Her designs are like a journey through a mysterious, sleepy dream full of fantasy and made of fabrics such as certified organic cotton, viscose and ethereal tulle.

BUGABOO Pop inspiration

WOOUF! Soft and cool

efvva.com

The Bugaboo + Andy Warhol Banana collection is inspired by the legendary image the iconic artist created in 1966 and which later became the cover of The Velvet Underground’s debut album. The contrast between the bright yellow and the pure black is just perfection!

The colourful, oversized bean bags and cushions from Barcelona brand Woouf! are just right for a kid’s room but are equally suited to the living room. This season, the brand’s designers have based their designs on yummy cupcakes, retro robots and cute animals.

bugaboo.com

woouf.com

VEJA 100% sustainable

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Inspired by designs for adults, Veja Small sneakers have a reinforced sole and toe to deal with whatever your average child might put it through. All the Veja Small models are available in both acacia tanned leather and organic cotton and their soles are made from wild Amazonian rubber.

Les Petits Chéris is an online store with an interesting selection of international brands like Mini Rodini, Soft Gallery, Emile et Ida, Moi Kidz, Little Creative Factory, Motoreta, Notsobig and Milapinou lespetitscheris.com

RONI HIRSCH Re-set

LESPET ITSCHERIS The best brands

veja.fr

These desks, tables and stools are part of the so-called “Re-Set” furniture line. This name explains the story behind them: they have actually been built from existing materials, from pieces that were used in theater scenography. The result is characterized by its simplicity and its clean aesthetic with straight edges. They are so versatile that they can be used by children of different ages and in any given situation. ronihirsch.com

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FENDI Italian luxury This collection is made up of extremely comfortable clothes characterised by a minimal elegance. It is dominated by neutral colours, made without any kind of dye. This approach is also reflected in the labels and packaging, as well as the maison logo, which is accompanied by a four-leaf clover.

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LALÉ For mums and kids

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Tote bags, skirts, lamp shades, backpacks, blankets... This french brand produces a huge range of products with the same charming vintage inspiration, which translates into sweet patterns and delicate tones. lale.fr

10-IS (Pronounced ‘Ten-is’)

COORDONNÉ A sweet tale

fendi.com

Join this adorable little mouse and his friends - a rabbit, a cat and a fairy godmother!

Together, they share adventures in a world of dreams. This charming collection by artist Pilar Burguet for Coordonné will warm your hearts.

This is a contemporary, urban brand, whose shoes are made from the finest materials and specifically designed for children. The aim: to create comfortable and attractive sneakers which are long-lasting. For greater comfort, all 10-is’ shoes have removable inner socks, which can be changed to suit your child’s foot size. This season, the brand has been inspired by the urban jungle and the shoes feature natural leather inserts, copper zips and white stitching.

coordonne.es

10-is.com

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KidsroomZOOM!, the Milan Fuorisalone event dedicated to the world of children, celebrated its 4th edition in April. On this occasion, the event returned to home ground, the one that characterized the event from the very beginning.

For a whole week, design pieces of furniture were exhibited in a very cool apartament, on the mezzanine floor of a residential building located in an exclusive area in the heart of Milan.

“My Superpower is...” was the title of this fourth event, which brought together the best of art, design, and food for children, and was curated by unduetrestella. Among its participants were, brands from all over the world - Denmark, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Finland, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Norway, Spain the Netherlands, even from South Africa and the United States - and of course Italy). In addition, some Italian artists like Martina Della Valle, Samuele Martin, Flaminia Veronesi, Aurora Cacciapuoti and Ruggero Asnagho offered workshops for the visitors.

On the wall, fabric mobiles by Un Samedi... (France). Furniture by byklipklap (Denmark). Puppets by Uglytoys (Poland).

On the wall, the new KidsroomZOOM! special edition by Bumoon (France), vinyl sticker Wonderland Garden + Springtime Garden. Furniture by Nonah (France): the new toy box Pélican (center), the Salamandre library (with some little objects by Studio delle Alpi), the new PEPIN stools and the table ALDABRA.

New music boxes by Georges, especially made for the 4th edition of kidsroomZOOM!. Cavalcade by Luca Boscardin. The piece belongs to a collection of rocking animals, with wheels if needed, which are completely made out of wood. Every animal is made from a single piece of wood which has been cut out and then painted.

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The Field tent by Kalon Studios (USA) is one of the new products in The Wilderness Collection, a collaboration between Kalon Studios and Nico Nico. Deceptively simple, the unique construction of the Backcountry Stool allows it to easily open and collapse so that children can pick it up and carry it with them. On the floor, the Cardinal tapis

by Little Cabari (Italy/France).

Lullaby Bench by Looodus (Italy/South Africa) is a collaboration with Bumoon.

Next to it, Lallabà crib (Italy).

Crib Ovalà by Lallabà (Italy) and house-shaped shelves by Duepuntispazio (Italy). The Body care collection is produced Linea MammaBaby (Italy), the soft toys for babies are manufactures by Emmis Klemmis, following a Swedish organic design.

Art work by Matteo Bissaca (Italy).

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Around Brazil

TIP TOEY JOEY

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These photos belong to Tip Toey Joey’s latest five collections. Each of them was photographed in the perfect location: ‘Café com leite’ (coffee with milk) was shot on a coffee plantation; ‘Sombra e agua fresca’ (shade and fresh water), on a beach in the north-east of the country; ‘Se essa rua fosse minha’ (if this street was mine) was taken on the streets of Sao Paulo while ‘Samba no pé’ (a popular dance), in Rio de Janeiro. Tip Top Joey´s Autumn/Winter 2014 range also celebrates Brazil’s multi racial makeup, arriving by train just as Brazil´s immigrants did, in the village of Paranapiacaba where Charles Miller first brought football to Brazil. This is where Tip Toey Joe´s inspiration for its latest collection - ‘O Dono da Bola’ (owner of the ball) - comes from. The pictures were taken by Spanish photographer Javier Ferrer Vidal in association with Naifactory. tiptoeyjoey.com

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MR. CULTURE Danilo Santos de Miranda is one of the greatest cultural directors in the world. With a strong belief in equality of access to all arts and great determination, he runs SESC Sao Paulo, a non-profit arts funding organisation, which operates 33 venues throughout the city. Miranda oversees an annual budget of 1.6 billion reais (around 520 million euros) which finances a wide variety of performances - from Théâtre du Soleil to Racionais MC’s (one of Brazil’s top rap acts) - as well as a range of projects in the fields of arts, education and health, attracting more than 20 million people each year to its affordable - or sometimes even free - events.

By GREICE COSTA Photos CAMILA MIRANDA

What are your first memories of Brazilian culture?

For me, the concept of culture is very wide-ranging; everything I saw in my childhood is part of my culture. As far as the arts go, I remember enjoying open-air concerts, performances on the streets, theatre, and the importance of the radio. My earliest memory is being on my father’s lap, singing “Peguei um Ita no norte” (by Dorival Caymmi) with my brothers.

In these 30 years as Regional Director of SESC, what has changed and what remains the same in the essence of Brazilian culture?

Brazilian culture has developed, like all cultures in the world. It is based on values, characteristics and ways of being that are specific to Brazil. We are a melting pot: a little bit native indian, a little bit African, a little bit European, not to mention the Asian contribution.

We are influenced by all these origins - on the European side, we have a Spanish and Portuguese influence, as well as a little Italian and North-European… we have an abundance of influences that is absolutely extraordinary. This becomes more and more important and increasingly more mixed as our society develops. I would say that, when I started to work at SESC in the 60s, this blend was less evident. As the world and society progressed, this mix became more evolved and important. Macunaíma (the main character of the eponymous book by Mario de Andrade) is a good example of what we are: someone with indigineous, black and white influences and who assimilates all this in order to produce a different, new vision. We are a very privileged society and, in a certain way, we are culturally very special. Because of that - and despite everything else - we are a country which is very respected and admired all over the world.

Things are evolving and I believe the change is down to this mixture, which is also increasing everywhere around the world.

Can you give practical examples of this change?

In 2009, I was in charge of the Brazilian side of things in the “Year of France” events in Brazil. At that moment, I realized how Brazil is seen by France - an important country that had a great influence in Brazilian culture during the 19th and 20th centuries. The French, with all their characteristics - their way of being, their pride in their culture and their influence all over the world - have a great respect for Brazilian diversity and for our relaxed attitude to it. I’m aware we have problems in accepting variety; prejudice against black people is still there, there is discrimination against those who are different, there are gender issues, territorial issues, prejudice against the northeasterners in the south and south-east, but, despite all that, we deal with this in a more peaceful way, and less hostile way. So, I notice a difference in culture, not about its state or content, but regarding the way it is approached, how it is made up and its confluence with other cultures from around the world.

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European influence was part of your education, from Jesuit boarding school until your postgraduate studies in management in Switzerland.

How do you see the influence of this background in your work?

My framework, which is the music that reached me in my early years, is completely Brazilian. Without this basis it wouldn’t have been possible for me to understand that culture everywhere is so complex, to understand that there is an art with African roots, another with European ones, and that all this reaches Brazil and mixes in such a brilliant way. In fact, the presence of this mixture is very strong in my everyday life. I don’t try to guide my work, to give priority to this or that culture. For me, culture has a much wider and universal aspect, beyond the notion of countries. Nevertheless, for its influence, its strength, its beauty and its context, the mix in the Brazilian culture is very important for me.

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In previous interviews you said that SESC is the result of teamwork, but what mark have you made?

Respect for others, for diversity. I fight for this every single day, indeed I spoke about this today various times in meetings, I spoke about it yesterday and I’ll speak about it every day, every moment I can. Valuing diversity and respecting difference is part of my message. For sure we have some problems, but, in general, the acceptance of differences is absolutely vital in our day-to-day lives.

Do you believe that the SESC model of funding can be exported (the institution benefits from a 1.5% tax on companies that deal with trade, services and tourism to invest in its cultural projects)?

Yes, I do. I have already seen interested people from France, Italy, Spain, India and Angola. Lately, we had some good coverage in the New York Times and Le Monde. A short time ago, I was invited to speak about the SESC model at conferences in Scotland and at the American Society, in New York. The Americans were impressed by the fact we have stable funding with a very clear purpose. There’s no use in having funding without knowing what to do with it, and there’s no point in knowing what to do, without having the funding. SESC has succeeded as a result of the very clear vision of the entrepreneurship that created this model, in the 1940’s.

It’s an apolitical model, in the party sense of the word - not apolitical in the essential sense, because every action is political. It’s non-religious as well. That guarantees a good result.

Recently, a group containing some of the main artists in Brazil has given their support for you becoming Minister of Culture. What do you think about that?

Look, it’s not my goal, I don’t long for it, but I’d have suggestions to make if needed. I’ve never been officially asked to consider it, even though I have heard it mentioned. But I don’t take it very seriously, because it’s a political post, I’m not linked to any one party and I don’t intend to do be either - so I’m not thrilled by this idea. If I’m invited one day, I’ll think about it. And if they ask me what I think about the ministry, I will have my suggestions.

Who is the Brazilian who benefits from your activities?

From a regulatory point of view, it’s every worker of the trade and service sectors who earns up to four times the minimum salary. He/ she is the centre of our initiatives, although that doesn’t prevent anyone else, of any income, job or status, from benefitting from SESC. The typical Brazilian nowadays is someone who struggles against a lot of difficulties, who has a relatively low income and who, especially in the big cities, faces huge difficulties making ends meet, finding a job, looking after their family and getting the

health care and education they need. Someone who has neither access to fair and full information, nor is prepared to accept the other…

I know it’s a negative picture but it used to be much worse.

I would say that the recent street protests (in June 2013) prove that we’re in a precarious position, between what has been successfuly achieved so far and what needs to be achieved.

How do your daughters and grandchildren influence your work?

They were all practically born in SESC! Look, my vision was passed on to my daughters and I intend it to be handed over to my grandchildren by them. It’s a vision of a changing world, having respect for others and humanitarian principles, and the need for committment.

All this is part of my everyday life. I’m very proud of my daughters and grandchildren because they are party to practically everything I think and the way I do things, while at the same time keeping their own ways of thinking and acting.

How are children seen and taken care of in the structure of SESC? We always work from the perspective of helping children participate in the transformation of society. How do we do this? First at all, we shouldn’t think of children as future citizens. They already are citizens, part of a process, and not just receivers of an action. They have a point of view and cannot be treated as “little beings”. On the other hand, for us, the elderly cannot simply be seen as “has beens”, but full citizens as well.

Why this idea of gathering culture with sports, healthy eating, health care and well-being projects under the SESC umbrella?

This integrated vision of culture has a name: permanent and ongoing education. We are an institution of continuing education. We deal with a lot of important aspects of a citizen’s life: health, culture seen not only as arts and entertainment but expanded to everything related to environment and to human relationships. Arts have a special significance because it is through them you go beyond material things. Art delights or provokes - it makes us think. At SESC we see art as something which is intrinsically connected with coexistence and self-awareness (both mentally and physically). People come to our venues because it makes them feel good on any one of a number of levels.

What is culture according to you?

For me, culture is everything. Everything that is created, sustained and developed by human capability. From language to daily activities, everything is part of culture. And the culture of the arts, in particular, is what fascinates and challenges, and, for that reason, make us better and more human.

What are your plans for the future?

To increase the scope of SESC, physically and virtually. Our main project at the moment is setting up a new digital and interactive platform.

What is your main dream as a cultural leader?

A more equal and respectful Brazil, with everyone being treated the same way, regardless of colour, sex or religion.

This will happen the moment enough people believe it’s worth trying to make a better Brazil based on these values.

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NANNY’S EYES

By Plinio Ribeiro Jr

THANKS TO : Ilda Santiago, Happiness Distribution - Paris (Isabelle Dubar e Emeric Sallon) and Howard Greenberg Gallery

VIVIAN MAIER Vivian Maier (1926-2009) was born in New York and worked most of her life as a nanny, mainly with families in Chicago but also on the East Coast of the United States. However, this is but a minor detail in her biography when it turns out that, in fact, she was one of the greatest street photographers of the 2Oth century.

During all the years she took care of other people’s children, she always carried her Rolleiflex to photograph almost everything that was part of her life – and took more than 100,000 photos. She was careful to keep her obsession a secret ; she never showed her photos to anyone, neither did she attempt to develop a career as a photographer.

Indeed, she didn’t even develop most of the rolls, preferring to keep them packed in boxes with most of her belongings in a storage locker.

In 2007, though, John Maloof, a local Chicago historian, came across some of her negatives and photographs at a storage unit auction in Chicago. Intrigued, he tried to find out about the person who had been behind the camera. Although he knew her name, he only found out more details about Maier’s life after she died in 2009. Now, Maloof now owns the largest collection of her work and is the co-director of Finding Vivian Maier, which premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Vivian Maier’s talent can be compared to some of the greatest photographers of that time, like Helen Levitt (1913-2009), Weegee (1899-1968) and Berenice Abbott (1898-1991). Her images present a wide range of subject matter: from tender portraits of daily life in the suburbs of Chicago, including photos of the children she was taking care of, to images that witness life on the streets of Chicago

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during the 50’s and the 60’s. As well as her nanny’s discreteness and ability to blend into the background, she had a natural talent for highlighting the details that, sometimes subtly and sometimes more dramatically, reveal the contradictions, harshness and nuances of American society at time.

Her Rolleiflex helped her to become ‘invisible’ – there is no eye-contact with the photographer, whose eyes are straight down, looking into the viewfinder. Her subject’s attention was probably focused on the children that were with her.

Anyway, enough of the chat . It’s time for you to make up your own mind about Vivian Maier’s photographs.

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THE BABÁS’ VIEW Most middle class Brazilians, when they think about their childhood, have in mind the image of the women who took care of them - the nanies or « babás ». This word comes from comes from Kimbundu, one of the two Bantu languages spoken in Angola, and means « to give little pats in order to make children fall sleep » or « to nurture ». This origin underlines the tender, physical experience under the care of these women.

Still, they seem to have remained, as was the case for Vivian Maier, in an ‘invisible zone’. The filmmaker Consuelo Lins, director of the documentary « Babás » (2010), showed how often they have been excluded from the image of the Brazilian family over the past two centuries. Right now, though, Brazilian society is reconsidering the legal status of Babas. A new body of laws, introduced in April 2013 to improve the conditions of domestic workers in Brazil, has fuelled a debate throughout the country.

Inspired by all this, including Vivian Maier’s example, Naif has decided to change the focus on Brazilian nannies by asking how things appear from their point of view : we gave some babas cameras, and asked them to take photos of the favourite aspects of their lives – not only the places where they work, and the children they take care of, but of their personal lives as well.

By creating this visual panorama we wanted not just to allow these insiders to express their particular point of view, but also to emphasise the importance of these women, to allow them to emerge from the background and let us see the world through their eyes

ANA MARIA DA SILVA – 37 She was born in the city of São Paulo, where she still lives (in the Campo Limpo neighbourhood). at work : She has worked as a nanny/house cleaner since she was 13years old – she has also worked at a nursery school for 1year 9months.

She has been working at Fernanda’s house since January, taking care of Rodrigo (3 months old) and Marcela (6 years old) as well as cleaning the house.She works from Monday to Friday, leaving her own home at 6 :30am and returning around 9pm.

She prefers taking care of little children – from 4 months until 2 years old and believes the most important thing when taking care of children is patience..

She has kept in touch with children that she has previously taken care of, like Leonardo Paulo, 11 years old.

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at home : She has 3 children : Gabriela (9, 4th grade), Giovanna (7 , 2nd grade) and Tiago (3, nursery).

Even though she has her weekends off, she has to clean her own house on Saturdays. On Sundays she loves to go to the Park (Campo Limpo) with her children.

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BENEDITA DA AJUDA JESUS MARIA – 54 She was born in Alcobaça (in the state of Bahia) and came to São Paulo with her family when she was 13. She lives in Cotia, on the outskirts of the city. at work : She has been working at Ana’s house for 2 years, and takes care of Gabriel (4 ) and Beatriz (9). She leaves her house at 5am and spends about 4/5 hours on her journey to her work. She cleans the house and also cooks for the family, working from Monday to Friday morning (she stays overnight on Thursday evenings).

She loves taking care of children – and even enjoys playing their games, such as tag - talking to them, and cooking. She considers that she gets on better with boys.

Otherwise, she tells us, « There is no point in having patience without love. You need both, » (for taking care of children) and adds that working as a nanny creates « strong emotional ties » between herself and the children she cares for.’ However, there is a time when her services are no longer required and she stops taking care of a child.

Then, she admits, it’s not easy for her to deal with the sudden end to such a

close relationship so she tries not to have any contact with children she’s taken care of : « It’s part of the past ». at home : She has 2 children : Sérgio Ferreira Santos is a 32 year- old butcher and Isabel de Jesus, who is 7 and goes to school – (2nd grade) – in the afternoons. She stays at a neighbour’s house while Benedita is at work). Isabel was adopted when she was a baby : « I always loved girls ; they are more caring ». Benedita loves to go out with Isabela (to Embu city, in the outskirts of São Paulo, to the mall), to play with her (cards and domino – and Isabel always win !)

At home, she loves cooking fish (‘moqueca’ for example, which is a specialty from Bahia, made with fish, coconut milk, onions, tomatoes, coriander and palm oil).

Isabel already knows she is adopted and she wants to know her biological mother (who lives in Alcobaça) Benedita loves to spend her holidays in Alcobaça (BA) or in Ipatinga (MG). Benedita loves to spend her holidays in Alcobaça (BA) or in Ipatinga (MG) : « I don’t fancy going to the beach

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EDINALVA SANTANA FONTES – 29 She was born in Lajedo do Tabocal (in the state of Bahia) and came to São Paulo with her daughter five years ago in search of a better standard of living. at work She works from Monday to Friday at a family’s house in Vila Romana, São Paulo, where she cleans and cooks and takes care of Bia, the 6 year old daughter of the couple she works for. She also has to take care of the family’s dog as well. Luckily, she lives close by in Vila Madalena, which is pretty lucky and a definite plus in São Paulo.

She prefers taking care of children to cleaning and thinks that patience is the most important quality for those taking care of children in order to deal with children’s behaviour (and eventually their tantrums Bia, goes to school in the afternoons (Edinalva stays with her dur-

ing the morning and brings her back from school). During the time they spend together, they go to the local park, they play, Edinalva tells her stories and sometimes they prepare « brigadeiros » (a chocolate frudge-like treat - very popular in Brazil, specially with kids).

Some evenings Edinalva works as a free-lance nanny for other families. When this happens, she takes her own daughter with her. at home She has one daughter, Eduarda, who’s 8 years old. She’s in the third grade and goes to school in the mornings, from 7 :30 until 11 :30.

After that, she goes to a local recreational centre during the afternoons, where she stays until 4pm, when Edinalva picks her up.

On the weekends, they go out – sometimes they go to a nearby park or at SESC Pompeia (see Danilo’s interview to know a little bit more about this multi-activity complex) She likes living in São Paulo, even though it can be tough sometimes . When she takes her holidays, she stays in São Paulo, but she’d love to go travelling – going to Rio de Janeiro for example. « To explore the world » she says.

THANKS TO : Benedita da Ajuda Jesus Maria, Ana Maria da Silva e Edinalva Santana Fontes

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A STORY OF COMMITMENT Swiss-brazilian artist, Claudia Andujar, has spent more than 30 years taking photographies of the Yanomami, a tribe that lives in the depth of the Amazonian woods. After all this time, she still believes that her project is a “work in progress”.

By SUSAN MARCH Photos by CLAUDIA ANDUJAR

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YANOMAMI FROM “THE INVISIBLE” SERIES 1976

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According to photographer, Claudia Andujar, when a portrait can be understood as a deeply felt relationship of trying to understand the other, it has achieved the purpose of its existence. For more than three decades, the celebrated photographer, has spent long periods of time living with the Yanomami tribe, one of the most isolated peoples on the planet. Her photographs show a way of life and an attitude towards it that is so different... Hers is a story of commitment. “In many ways,” she explains, “it can be considered as a lifetime involvement that took many forms of expression over the years.

Sometimes this meant just photography, and in other circumstances engagement for their land rights and freedom of cultural expression”.

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Andujar was successful right from the start of her career. Back in 1960, some of her pieces were chosen by the Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of a photography exhibition that included names such as Capa. In spite of this, she has always had both feet firmly on the ground and has felt gratitude for the things she has had the chance to witness. “Photography is my way of communicating with the world. It’s a two-way process, in which you learn and receive as much as you give”.

Her personal life, influenced by her Jewish background and the loss of her father and her first love during World War II, has also formed her character as an artist and her point of view as a photographer. It isn’t difficult to understand why she got involved with the Yanomami cause, knowing her experience of oppression.

She was born in Switzerland in 1931 but spent her childhood in Romania and then Hungary, her father’s homeland. When she was 13 years old, she and her mother escaped to Switzerland after her father was deported to Dachau concentration camp, where he died.

After a stay in the United States, she moved in 1955 to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she started to work with a number of important magazines. Three years later, she had the chance to photograph some indigenous tribes for the firts time: Karajá, Bororo and Xicrin Kayapo.

In the 1970s, she was working as a photographer on the plight of the native Indians. “I accompanied several doctors on medical rescue expeditions,” she explains. This was the time of the so-called “Brazilian Miracle” (a period of rapid economic growth under the military regime in the late sixties and early seventies) and Yano-

VERTICAL 14 FROM MARCADOS SERIES 1983-1984

mami territory was being invaded by the construction of a new road and the mining. “With all the mining, the digging for gold, diamonds, and cassiterite,” she remembers, “the number of mines, both those which were officially sanctioned and other clandestine operations which were not, grew rapidly. Many Indians suffered during these dark times.”

In the early 80s, Together with some doctors, who were also alarmed by the threat to the indigenous population, Andujar formed a team of health workers to visit the Yanomami and treat them for the illnesses that had been introduced by the workers brought in to the area as well as monitor the activities of the companies who had imposed themselves so recklessly on this previously untouched region.

That wasn’t an easy task. The gold miners imposed their own law and the army, faithful to the dictatorial regime, continually threatened the team with visa cancellations or expulsions from the country. Luckily, Andujar had received her Brazilian citizenship just a year before. One of the photographer’s activities was to create health records for the Yanomami communities, who were considered “lazy savages with no working skills for white people’s economy”. “We hung a numbered tag around the neck of each ‘vaccinated’ indian. It was an attempt to save them,” she comments. At the same time, she recognizes that they created a new identity for those people, though it was undoubtedly a system that was alien to their very own culture. “I wanted to show the circumstances surrounding this project using these images that were taken at that time. It isn’t about justifying the mark around their necks, but rather explaining that it refers to a sensitive and ambiguous area, one that may arouse discomfort and pain”. This simple record of the Yanomami as people who have been given labels is transformed into a work that questions the reasons for labelling people, for whatever purpose.

Andujar didn’t just turn up with a camera in her hands and start taking pictures of the Yanomami. Instead, she tried to develop a relationship with them, although in the beginning they could only communicate with each other using signs and gestures. “They didn’t even know that I was a woman! The other women in the tribe had to touch my breasts in order to be sure of my gender. Only when I had a really close relationship with these people, did I began to trigger”.

Clockwise from top left CATRIMANI RIVER [WAKATHA-Ú] TIY, RR 1976 ÍNDIO XICRIN-KAYAPO [RIO CATETE] 1966 UNTITLED 1976 FAMÍLIA XICRIN-KAYAPO [PARÁ, AMAZÔNIA] 1966

She says that this work was “an objective effort to organise and identify a population at a risk of extinction, as something on the verge of a conceptual piece”. Although it may seem that both their universes are a million miles apart, Andujar feels closely related to the Yanomami way of understanding both life and themselves. “I was 40 years old, an immigrant in Brazil. I was one of the many who were a product of World War II. In the beginning, I spent fourteen months with the Yanomami and only left the region because I was forced out by the authorities, who considered my work suspect. I was a witness and felt the need to experience and document that experience they were sharing with me”. That’s why she founded in 1978 the NGO, CCPY - the Yanomami Commission.

The Yanomami people have been shown Andujar’s photographs many times throughout all these years. Apparently, one of their favorites is “La Chute du Ciel”, an image from a series that interprets the spiritual work of shamans and is a prophecy of what will happen if people continue to exploit nature and other people ruthlessly.

Above: BORORO – BOE, PERIGARA [MATO GROSSO] 1960 Left: AJARANI (BR-210) 1981 Right: HORIZONTAL 6 FROM THE SERIES MARCADOS 1981-1983

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THE DESCENDANTS There are almost 1.5 million people of Japanese descent living in Brazil, more than in any other place in the world outside of Japan.

Among them are the Minamis.

By SUSAN MARCH Photos JOSEÁN VILAR

At the beginning of the 20th century, the modernisation of Japan resulted in dramatic changes, which at first resulted in increased hardship for the rural population On the other side of the world, the coffee plantations of Brazil were crying out for skilled labourers. The result was an agreement between the two countries which saw the emigration of over 160,000 Japanese to Brazil before the Second World War, with the process continuing to a smaller degree after the conflict.

Today, there are almost 1.5 million people of Japanese descent living in Brazil, more than in any other place in the world outside of Japan. Among them are the Minamis: event company owners, Cristiane and Alexandre and their children, Lara (8), Caio (6), Theo (4), Enzo (2) and their little pet, a dog called Geleia. She is only seven months old.

Are people from outside Brazil aware of the Japanese community here?

We are descendants of Japanese families, our kids already belong to the fourth generation. We no longer use our ancestors’ language, but Brazilians tend to be pretty familiar with this link between Asia and this country, especially in Sao Paulo. Our neighbourhood doesn’t have a lot of Japanese families, but since our own is big and we spend a lot of time together, our kids know a bit about their origin.

On this page The members of the Minami family.

Right Lara, in her room.

The kids play in the living room.

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Did you choose to have a large family?

No! It just happened! Like many other families we would have been happy with just a couple of children.Then, after Caio was born, we felt that having another baby would be a really beautiful thing… Suddenly, I got pregnant, with no time to really think about it! Finally, Enzo was a total surprise, our ‘bonus track’, as we like to say. He is the song that finishes off our album! All four children were delivered naturally in our own home.

We’d always been really keen on that and had done a lot of research.

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How does a family this large organise its routines?

We are our own bosses and we feel privileged because we live really close to the office, to the school and to a gorgeous square with trees. All these things make so much difference - living in Sao Paulo, so much time is normally taken up with going from one place to another with your children. When necessary, we use public transportation.

Another thing that makes our lives easier is having the grannies nearby, plus a nanny and baby-sitter.

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On both pages Several details of both the house and the family.

Describe a regular day for you and your family.

We’re not really morning people but we’ve got no choice because there’s so much needing to be done! Our working hours are flexible and whenever possible we pick the kids up from school. The older kids do so many activities as well: they have swimming lessons, go to soccer practice and dance lessons, learn English…

When we arrive home, it’s bath-time, time to play, to sing and then to play again… and when they’re not playing, they’re fighting with each other! They also do the homework, of course, but there’s always chaos around when there are four kids in a family. It would be easier to turn on the TV, but I think it’s better if kids get used to routines.

When it’s bedtime, we read them stories, with all of us getting together on our bed and Alexandre and I reading a different one for each age group. Then, everyone (reluctantly) goes to their own bed. After midnight, some of them try to move back to sleep with us.

What do you do on weekends and holidays?

Imagine all the birthday parties we have to celebrate and the number of kids from school that we have to invite! It’s impossible for Alexandre and I to go to everything we’re invited to, but we always try to take the kids with us. On weekends and holidays, we always see the rest of the family and meet with

friends. We really enjoy cycling, going to parks or to the movies and having lunch in restaurants (luckily, our kids dislike hamburgers and pizza and they love sushi!). On the weekend, they can also eat sweets, play as much as they want and watch films.

friendlier and safer. When Carnival arrives, we really enjoy the atmosphere on the streets and we love the fact there are so many people from all different cultures and backgrounds out on the streets.

What does your house look like?

Is Sao Paulo a comfortable city for a large family?

Absolutely not. This is a huge city, but there aren’t that many things for families to do in their free time, and what there is tends to be expensive. Fortunately, public spaces are becoming much more popular, which is great, as they’re now 50

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Clockwise from top left Several pictures show the decoration of the house, that perfectly reflects the Japanese heritage of the Minamis and their love for details and design.

On this page Pieces of art and pictures of the family are everywhere in the house: the combination of design and family memories results in a succesful mix.

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We live in a big house, which we did up recently. We opened it up to make it more spacious, which is perfect for playing with the kids or having friends and family around. We love to stay at home and just do nothing.

What are your plans for the future?

First of all, no more babies! We’re in the process of doing up a house, close to Sao Paulo, because we want to avoid the pollution and be in touch with nature. In the short term, we also want to travel again, which is one of our favourite activities. We’d prefer to travel without planning the journey too much, but that’s difficult when you have little kids.

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MEMORY HOME Narrative, immersive and sensual - that’s how Marko Brajovic defines his house. This Croatian creative and his wife, designer Teka Brajovic, have collected original pieces from every single country they have visited and from each of the places where they have lived and have put them altogether in their current Brazilian home.

By JESÚS ANDRÉS Photos RUY TEIXEIRA

How does your professional profile influence the place you live in?

I’m a creative director and the founder of Atelier Marko Brajovic.

With my team, I work in areas of scenography, exhibition set-up and design. Our last projects were David Bowie and Stanley Kubrick exhibitions at The Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) in São Paulo, and an interior design project for the new Camper store in the city. Teka, my wife is an accessory and jewellery designer and she always gives everything a final magic touch. We both have a creative background, so we designed our house together.

How did you end up in Brazil and how does your European heritage affect your everyday life there?

My first visits to Brazil were related to a workshop in sustainable design and architecture processes that I was leading in the Amazon rain forest. A few years after, I was offered the position of director of the Interior and Industrial Design department at Instituto Europeo di Design, in Sao Paulo. After two years there, I decided to stay in Brazil and opened my office.

I am Mediterranean, a mix of both Slavic and Latin bloods, so Brazil is the perfect home for such an eclectic cultural background.

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Photo: JOSEÁN VILAR

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Every day, I carry with me the smell of the Adriatic sea, the brilliance of the blue sky in a Spanish spring, the scent of lavender…

And I miss fried sardines so much!

Are your origins also reflected in the decoration of the house?

Yes, but it’s not a matter of nationality, it’s about cultural heritage.

For sure, I carry with me textures, forms, light... but, over all, my attitude: when I design -as a process-, the final result depends on the parameters that we included in our designs. I studied architecture in Venice and did postgraduate studies in Barcelona… those places influenced me greatly.

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When I take a look at your house, “mixture” is the word that comes to my mind... What other adjectives do you think suit it?

The interior design is a complete mix of my style and my wife’s. I can no longer detect where my influence ends and hers begins.

Our process of design develops like this: first, we “talk” with the house and try to understand what it is and what it was before, who built it and who lived there. Then, we can start to introduce our lifestyle and a special design for every single corner.

Each part of the house is like a unique universe and we love to discover it and converse aesthetically and functionally with it. I believe that this defines a 100% Brazilian house and that’s the beauty of it: Brazil is a mixture of culture, influences, etc.

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Where did you get the special pieces that we see in the pictures?

Everything comes from a different place or source: Teka’s grand-grand father; different antique shops in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina; our travels through Russia or Turkey; and finally from my home in Croatia and my former flat in Spain. The objects we like the most are those that no one wanted and that we have transformed into special pieces: almost everything here has been refurbished, fixed or customised with new materials, textures or given a new use.

Have your children contributed to the look of the house?

We have two children, Zoe (4 years old) and Zion (8 months), and we designed our house together. In fact we

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love to listen to our kid’s opinions and then observe what they like and how they use and transform objects. The house is a living concept that evolves with us. We don’t like “revolutions,” we like “evolutions”, so we use the same attitude when we moved to this house.

You’ve recently launched your own furniture designs for kids... and they have a really innovative concept, don’t they?

Yes, and we are so excited about it! The brand is called ‘minúsculos’. It‘s a multidisciplinary company that researches, develops and manufactures objects for children. Our products are hybrids between

furniture and toys, a mixture that opens children’s creativity to infinite interpretations of the same piece. Our products are designed and produced locally and sold globally through digital fabrication.

Let’s talk again about the house, what stories do the paintings and the pictures on the wall contain?

When we moved in, we found lots of old paintings and pictures from the lady that lived here a long time ago. Her grandchildren had just left them on the floor, in the drawers and in the garbage. We got them together and hung them all on a whole wall at the entrance of

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the house. This huge collage of painting keeps the memory of the house alive. On the other hand, on the main staircase, we created a composition of all our family pictures. We don’t like pictures all around the house “decorating” the space. Actually, we prefer “memory installations” and that’s why we created a special place for them.

What other object would you like to put in the house? Which would you never buy for it?

We’d love a big slide!! And we’d never have stuffed animals here!

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JOGO BONITO

By SUSAN MARCH Photos LEONARDO FINOTTI

A regular rectangle in the middle of a mosaic of slums. Order versus chaos, concrete versus plywood and pipes, development versus poverty. This photography exhibition is an engaging attempt to explain some of the many contrasts of Brazil which are becoming more evident due to the building of the infrastructure necessary for the World Cup.

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When writing about this project, architect Gustavo Hiriart explains that, since football is the most popular sport in the world and the focus of so much passion from its fans, it generates a huge amount of money. “The celebration of the World Cup in Brazil, a country where football is practically the state religion, has introduced new approaches to the relationship between sport, construction, politics and culture”, states Hiriart. “The image of this powerful emergent country that is claiming for its place in the international sporting and political area doesn’t square with the enormous poverty and lack of structure to society that Brazil still needs to tackle.”

Certainly, the World Cup is one of the greatest challenges that Brazil has faced in recent history. There is the opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the country has developed in all areas and that a difference has ben made in the lives of ordinary Brazilians.

Hiriart comments that “In addition to the obvious topic of the photographs, which show what has been recently built, this fascinating project tries to show the other side of the World Cup, the relation between the soccer fields in the suburbs and their immediate contexts”.

These pictures evoke a sense of protest but they are also beautiful compositions, with a remarkable aesthetic sense. They are reminiscent of artificial bird’s-eye view maps, or a giant patchwork quilt against the blue sky. Gustavo Hiriart says “expressively, Leonardo Finotti’s pictures are organised observing the spacial structure of each project, structure that is transferred to the images. On the other hand, favelas (Brazilian shanty towns) occupy a place where physical structure structure hardly exists even exist – buildings are constructed haphazardly with no regard to any form of building control and an almost total lack of amenities. Utilities, where available, are connected in a way which would make even the worst cowboy builder in this country wince.

The spontaneous and continuous way of building results in chaos.”

What will Brazil’s cities look like when the World Cup ends? Will its inhabitants really appreciate a change, an improvement of their living conditions?

Gustavo Hiriart has the answer, having closely analyzed Finotti’s work. “While photographing the suburbs of Sao Paulo from the clouds, Leonardo Finotti has discovered that the football pitches introduce a new spacial reference, a structure that is beyond everyday survival, something somehow sacred. Many times, these fields are the only public space in the whole neighbourhood and represent a real place of resistance. These areas establish a new civic image that respects common spaces, that show, without advertisements or sponsors, the real power of the relationship between people and football”.

Sport, art, social protest, housing bubble… there are several teams in this match. Who’s the referee? Who’s going to score the victory goal? Take a look at the pictures and see if you can work out the final score in this unusual match.

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Brazilian photographer Leonardo Finotti has been traveling around the globe, taking pictures of every imaginable type of building, from an airport to a villa.

In this project, he focuses on his homeland to tell us a story about contrasts, about football and architecture.

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Very few countries in the world offer the depth and variety of culture and experience that can be found in Brazil. Spend a short time there, travel from place to place, notice the contrasts in lifestyle, the changes happening and you’d realise it would be more apt to refer to “Brazils”.

By PLINIO RIBEIRO JR Illustrations by HELENA SASSERON

So, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to include in this edition of Naif a panorama of Brazilian diversity, through a kaleidoscopic portrait based on the memories of “Brasileiros” from different parts of this vast country.

We asked them to share with us their memories of their favourite food, toy, game they enjoyed playing most, the fancy dress they dreamt about – we shouldn’t forget that Carnival is in every Brazilian’s DNA – and, finally, the annual celebration they enjoyed the most.

BWOKAA spent his childhood in Santo Angelo (state of Rio Grande do Sul).

FOOD: “Without any doubt, rib barbecue with mayonnaise salad”.

TOY: “Cards, especially the “waft” game, where we tried to turn cards over by flapping our hands to make the air flip the cards.

The winner is whoever turns the most cards”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “A kind of tag with a touch of romanticism, where the girls had to catch the boys!”

FANCY DRESS: “Gafiera – Brazilian style partner dance, in which men are dressed in a cool white suit”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “It was always New Year’s Eve”.

FOOD: “My mother, who was kind of the nurse of the small community of fishermen from our neighbourhood, always came home with some fish or seafood. There was so much of it! With my mum’s help, I learned how to clean, prepare and love seafood”.

FANCY DRESS: “One I’ll never forget was one I made myself - an Egyptian costume. I remember choosing blue fabric, patterned with flowers - the costume was basically made of three strips of this material: one around the chest, another over the hips and a third one which went vertically down the middle from the piece around my hips. I have no idea how I got this idea”.

TOY: “Dadá was my favourite – a really popular plastic doll. She wore a red jumpsuit and a white bonnet and she made a sound when you pressed her belly. My mum still has her!”

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “Jurujuba was a very friendly place.

Everyone knew each other and all the celebrations were prepared by everybody months in advance, they were wonderful”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “My best memories are all the games we played in the streets”.

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RENATA LUCENA-KLAWER spent most of her childhood in Jurujuba, a fishing port in Niterói (state of Rio de Janeiro).

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BEBETE INDARTE spent her childhood in Porto Alegre (state of Rio Grande do Sul).

FOOD: “I was very skinny when I was a kid. Everyone enjoyed eating their barbecued dinner all Sunday long, but not me...

What I really loved was the stroganof my mum used to prepare.

She was a great cook”.

TOY: “I didn ‘t have a lot of toys, nor dolls, and my dream was to have a Susi (a Brazilian version of Barbie), but I never got one.

I had no choice but to enjoy playing with my bike”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “My house, at Visconde Duprat Street, had a huge garden with a lot of flowers. I enjoyed mashing the petals of one particular flower to prepare fingernail polish by adding some saliva. We had this flower in different colours, which means I had “petal-polish” in different colours. Poor flowers...”.

FANCY DRESS: “During my childhood, Carnival always seemed strange to me. Until I was 6 years old, we lived in a street where a popular parade used to finish, so I saw people taking their fancy dresses off. But I never cared that much about dressing up”.

CELEBRATION: “Festa Junina” (June Festival , held during the Brazilian winter and which is as popular as carnival in some parts of Brazil) was my favourite, because we used to eat lots of pine nuts and popcorn as well as play certain games. I really loved, for example, to jump over the bonfire set outside and to look at the starry sky”.

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DOMINGOS ALCÂNTARA spent his childhood in Salvador (state of Bahia) FOOD: “Breaded steak with mashed potatoes and ‘tubaína’ (a popular soft drink)”.

TOY: “I had a lot of toys, but what I really liked was my Monareta (a bicycle, very famous in the 70s / 80s in Brazil). I even founded a clubhouse and everybody came by bike to play at my house”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “Picula” of course! (Tag, where the one who’s caught must freeze. There’s a hut where everyone is safe)”.

FANCY DRESS: “Spacesuit. It definitely wouldn’t go down very well in the heat of Salvador”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “Saint John (part of the June Festival), for sure. It was the best time of the year: the campfire, the maize porridge, boiled corn, meeting all my cousins.... very good memories”.

NEUSA BARBOSA spent her childhood in São Paulo (state of São Paulo).

LUCIANA RADÓ-DRESSEL spent her childhood in São Paulo (state of São Paulo).

FOOD: “Gnocchi, which was not very common at that time. I helped my mum putting them in the water and taking them out”.

FOOD: “Rice with french fries”.

TOY: “My Susi doll, which had a huge wardbrobe. I loved to dress her up for parties, adding hats, belts, high-heel shoes, that kind of thing. Sometimes a friend of mine came to play, bringing her Susi, and we made ornaments by ourselves, using pieces of fabric, for example”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “Tag. Sometimes I played at school or with friends at home. In fact, anyone could join in – my brothers, cats...

– as long as they were running around! It was great fun”.

FANCY DRESS: “Ballerina. I took dance classes when I was growing up”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “June Festival. I remember buying the costumes for it. During the celebrations I enjoyed the food stalls and the food, like pumpkin sweeties, Brazilian cornmeal cake and popcorn. I enjoyed the dancing too, because it represented being part of the fun, far removed from the tyranny of school”.

TOY: “A doll called ‘Little Bean’. She had a plastic head but her body was soft. Unfortunately she was stolen from the car when I left her in there once”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “During summer we filled our terrace with water and we used it like a pool. It only had a little bit of water but it was so cool! Also hide and seek outside, between the parked cars and the yards. Nowadays all the houses have antitheft window bars and security fences and the and the street is awful! I don’t recognize it anymore. At least everything is still pretty in my memories”.

FANCY DRESS: “I’ve never dreamt of having one - it never interested me”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “June Festival. I loved the food, the fishing booth at the fair and dancing all dressed up in pretty clothes - such simple things”.

CASSIA CARVALHO spent her childhood in Londrina (state of Paraná).

FOOD: “Couscous, which, in the northeast part of Brazil, is made with maize flour and looks like a cake. It’s the most versatile food I know and we eat it with everything: meat, cheese, vegetables, cows’ milk, coconut milk, and with anything else you can come up with... I love it”.

FOOD: “I was really keen on junk food; I loved it when, after hours and hours spent in the swimming pool (we had to be almost suffering from hypothermia to get out), my mom came out with a plate of fried sausages”.

TOY: “Kite”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “Burnt” - two teams face each other inside a playing area marked on the ground. The ball is ‘fire’ and everyone tries to hit someone on the other team by throwing the ball. If you get hit (burnt), you’re out. The aim is to get everyone in the other team out”.

FANCY DRESS: “Female bear. There was this song in Recife, which was sung by a carnival group called the female bear group. They used to Knock on doors, asking for money. If people refused to give, someone would sing “the female bear wants money, the one who doesn’t give is stingy!”

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “June Festival, always spent in the countryside of Pernambuco (a state in the northeast of Brazil), in my grandparents’ house”.

TOY: “First, it was coloured Plasticine, which could be transformed into anything I wanted. I really enjoyed the smell ! Then, when I was around 9 or 10years old it was my bicycle, all day long”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “Without any doubt, playing in the street with my neighbours (tag, hide and seek, hopscotch...), and anything we could invent with a ball”.

FANCY DRESS: “I’ve never preferred a specific one, but my mum made two I liked: cavewoman and pirate”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “Ha, carnival! My birthday is at the same time as June Festival, so I have good memories of it as well, but carnival was always more exciting, lively and lots more fun”.

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TEREZA PAIVA spent her childhood in Recife (state of Pernambuco).

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AURÉLIO DE MACEDO spent his childhood in Buriti Bravo (state of Maranhão).

FOOD: “Rice, beans and chicken with broth or chambari (a special stew made with beef shank)”.

TOY: “Shuttlecock, made with corn husks and chicken feathers. It could be hit between two teams, like volleyball, or in a circle. In that case, whoever let the shuttlecock fall to the ground had to pay a forfeit (to dance, or imitate something, or even leave the circle – in that case, whoever remained until the end was the winner)”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “Soccer in the dunes. The football was made with old socks, filled with cotton and strips of fabric”.

FANCY DRESS: “In the countryside, the most desirable fancy dress was a harlequin costume. At the very least we wore a decorated hat with some coloured ribbons attached”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “June Festival. As part of the Saint John and Saint Peter traditions we lit a fire in front of our house, and we stayed around it telling stories, playing and eating baked sweet potato, coconut candy and Brazilian cornmeal cake. Kids of all ages would join in the games and singing”.

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GRAZIELA KRONKA spent her childhood in Jaboticabal (state of São Paulo).

FOOD: “Pizza, pizza, pizza and always pizza (with a lot of cheese and olive oil)”.

TOY: “My favourite toy were my dolls and I always wanted to be able to design exclusive-looking clothes for them as well as my sister could. There were paper dolls, rag dolls, plastic dolls and Barbies. Me and a cousin of mine used to ‘sew’ their dresses by sticking material together with nail polish”.

CHILDREN’S GAME: “I enjoyed playing games outside like tag, hide and seek.... I also loved riding my ‘Ceci’ (popular bicycle during the 80s, with a basket attached to the handle bar)”.

FANCY DRESS: “An odalisque, and I still dream of having it.

(Don’t be shocked! In Brazil, an odalisque is the equivalent of an arabian princess)”.

FAVORITE CELEBRATION: “As the chubby little girl I was, my favorite celebration was the Dainty Party, which happened during the anniversary of my hometown, in July, and involved lots of food! This was great, because it followed the June Festival, another amazing time for those who love to eat! Later on - and less chubby - I started preferring Carnival”.

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ON THE ROAD BR 232

If Jack Kerouac, the celebrated author of “On the Road”, had lived longer, had known his only daughter and had decided to travel with her around Brazil, I’m sure he would have enjoy a journey along the BR232. This 500km-plus road connects the east and west of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco: from the lush paradise of the coast, to the ‘Sertao’, a vast, arid land but with a very rich culture; a place where time seems to slow down….

By JOSEÁN VILAR

It all started with a visit to the Artesanato (craft) museum of Recife, a new building in the city centre, whose contents left us curious to learn more about the culture that produced items such as pottery, sculptures, paintings and other objects which seemed exotic, even to us Brazilians.

In the museum giftshop we found a little travel guide entitled “Route 232: a trip of cuisine, craft and culture”. After a few minutes flicking through it we had decided. A few days later we left the chaotic bustle of Recife for an unknown destination…

The BR232 left the city in its wake, the suburbs gradually dissolving into the countryside, with huge fields of sugar cane flowing down the hillsides. The road was still busy – not just with traffic but with the stalls and barrows which lined the route, full of fruit, cheese and other products.

After an hour we reached our first stop, Bezerros. When we entered the

village, we went straight to the “Artisans Centre”, where we saw a remarkable exhibition of drawings, leatherwork, pottery, wood carvings - it was utterly captivating! Bezerros, as we discovered, is famous for its typical Papangú masks, based on a character from the local carnival, but the best-known aspect of its culture is the work of J. Borges, a world-famous artist and xylographer (woodcut artist), who you can easily find working in his own workshop.

We had a simple country lunch of meat, beans and rice and then continued on our way. Within 45 minutes we were in Caruarú, famous throughout the Northeast for its fair, the biggest in the state, where people from all over the region come to buy and sell beautifully-handmade products, such as shoes, bags, belts and other leather products at a fraction of the price they would fetch in Recife. The city has also a long tradition of pottery, concentrated in the alto de Moura neighborhood. By simply walking along the narrow streets you can come across local pottery makers in their front-room

Clockwise from top left

workshops, creating beautiful items depicting aspects of the traditional “sertanejo” (think Brazilian wild western!) lifestyle. Most of these artists were taught by and work in the style of Mestre Vitalino, a renowned local artist, who died some years ago.

When we went back to our van we noticed a little stall nearby. A woman and her young daughters were selling exotic fruits such as pinha, saputi and jaca - three of my favourites. Their goat, tied to a stake in the ground, grazed nearby. Before I even realised she’d left my side, my daughter Valentina had begun playing with the girls. They were having such a great time together that we decided to stay there for a while, and chat with both the woman - and the goat! It was a very moving and... surreal moment indeed!

After a while, we managed to drag ourselves away from our new acquaintances and headed for Belo Jardim, another village with an

WALL PAINTING IN THE J. BORGES ATELLIER WALKING THROUGH THE CAATINGA SURREAL MOMENT ON THE ROAD CARIYING WATER CACTUS AND GOATS VIEW OF THE VALE DE CATIMBAU

“artisans’ centre”, called Tareco e Mariola. It was a cute little building, containing plenty of really crazy, imaginative pieces made by local artisans and artists. Many of them had recycled waste materials produced by the nearby battery company, which employs 60% of the population.

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There were also some really wonderful pots, sculptures, and furniture, mixing traditional and contemporary styles and in which details and finishes stood out. Most of them came from a small rural community which specialises in making pottery with clay from the immediate sorroundings, so we thought it would be great to meet them. In a few minutes we were in the middle of nowhere, looking for their village. After many diversions, dirt-tracks and questioning bemused locals (“What are these people from the city doing out here?” they must have thought!) we finally reached the tiny vilage.

Even the goats and chickens stared at us as if we’d arrived from another planet – and I suppose, in a way, we had. Valentina, as always, was our ambassador of goodwill. She immediately ran to meet some little girls who were playing next to some adobe houses. By the time we’d got there, the ice was well and truly broken.

We chatted with some women; it was they who produced the pottery objects we’d seen in Belo Jardim, as the men worked in the town as masons.

They explained the detailed manufacturing process of their work and what inspired them, while the girls ran wildly around, squealing and screaming with delight, surrounded by hens and pigs which were adding to the cacophony. It was fantastic!

The simple way of life and the kindness of these people really touched our hearts. Of course, we took away with us some of their marvellous work. As night fell, we said goodbye, promising to return some day to the village to learn more about their lives and work.

The next morning we set off on the BR232 again and travelled to Sanharó , a city famous for its goat and cow cheese, and meat industry. We stopped there to taste and buy. The tasting was amazing but the buying was so difficult - everything was delicious - and so cheap.

Finally back on the road, we drove for quite a while till we reached Arcoverde, a city known for ‘samba de coco’, a well-known folk music and dance that every Brazilian enjoys during the celebrations which take place all over the country in June as part of the winter festival (see our article

in page number ? of the magazine, where Brazilians talk about their childhoods).

From there, we decided to take a diversion to a natural park called Vale de Catimbau, close to a small town called ‘Buique’ - even further from civilisation. We marvelled at the majestic rock formations which seemed to be in the form of gigantic animals. As vultures soared high overhead, we listened to ancient stories from an indian guide belonging to one of the local tribes.

We walked almost 3 hours through a forest composed mainly of ‘caatinga’ trees, which are common in this dry area. The name “caatinga” is a Tupi (Brazilian Indian tribe) word meaning “white forest” and it was a very strange sensation indeed walking through them – it really seemed as if we were on another planet. The tour guide explained how the local people manage to get water from the plants, and we realised that, in fact, we were surrounded by water, but we just couldn’t see it.

Valentina was entranced by the experience and even insisted on bringing home as a souvenir some sun-bleached cow bones she discovered.

At one point, we reached a huge rock where our guide showed us some cave paintings which were more than 4000 years old. They were so beautiful and simple: they had remained there over the millenia, looked after by local people and the vultures.

We made it back to our car and drove back to civilisation. As we drove through that dry landscape, where the colours changed in a minute, where the houses were made of adobe, where the donkeys transported water tanks door to door, I realised how far we were from the world we knew and how deep we had dived, little by little, during this journey. I couldn’t help feeling a mixture of pity and admiration for these people, who are able to survive in this hard world, which seems to be frozen in time.

The last stop of the journey was for a dinner at Restaurante Belo Jardim, a simple place where they served delicious local food - just what we needed to finish off our adventure.

As the sun set, we began our journey home. My wife and daughter slept as I drove, my mind full of inspiration and enchanting memories.

Clockwise from left

e “sertao”: get an idea of th to ns tio es Waddington gg su Some es' by Andrucha el , tu u, 'E ie ov iz Gonzaga > Watch the m sa Branca' by Lu 'A ic assuna us m e th da' by Ariano Su > Listen to o da compadeci ut 'A ok bo e th > Read

PIECE IN CLAY BY MESTRE VITALINO POTTERY IN BELO JARDIM

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Clockwise from top left VIEW OF THE ELEPHANT ROCK CAVE PAINTINGS ARTISANS FROM BEZERROS AND BELO JARDIM VALENTINA AND HER NEW FRIENDS

ETHNIC Photographer PIOTR MOTYKA Stylist JULIE VIANEY Grooming JOANNA BERNACKA

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EMILY Top BAKER MADE WITH LOVE Dress and cardigan SCOTCH R’ BELLE Belt STYLIST’S OWN Necklaces APRIL SHOWERS BY POLDER

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Dress and skirt SCOTCH R’ BELLE Leggings SUPERTRASH

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Talia Grey and white stripe top and skirt both by LIT TLE MARC JACOBS Socks and shoes both by JORDAN

Dress and skirt SCOTCH R’ BELLE Leggings SUPERTRASH

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Mican Pale grey jacket by LIT TLE MARC JACOBS White tee by GAP KIDS Printed shorts by GRO Socks by JORDAN Shoes CHAMPION

Top EMILE ET IDA Dress ANTIKNOCK BATIK Jumpsuit FINGER IN THE NOSE Hair band TALC

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Dress ZADIG&VOLTAIRE Jacket and leggings SCOTCH R’ BELLE Belt STYLIST’ S OWN

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Photos by TIM MARSELLA Stylist Ellie Lines Art Directed by Liz Sheppard

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Zip through jacket GRO

Grey jacket LITTLE MARC JACOBS

white tee GAP KIDS

White tee GAPS KIDS

Shorts LITTLE MARC JACOBS

Orange shorts BILLIEBLUSH

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Courali Dip dye tee STELLA MCCARTNEY Skirt PALE CLOUD Black socks GAP KIDS

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Talia Grey and white stripe top and skirt LITTLE MARC JACOBS Socks and shoes JORDAN

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Mican Pale grey jacket LITTLE MARC JACOBS White tee GAP KIDS Printed shorts GRO Socks JORDAN Shoes CHAMPION

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Courali Dip dye tee STELLA MCCARTNEY Skirt PALE CLOUD Black socks GAP KIDS

Talia Silk top and cotton shorts CHLOE

Courali White tee GAP KIDS Skirt MARIE CHANTAL

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Mican Print sweatshirt GRO Grey track suit bottoms CHLOE Socks JORDAN Shoes CHAMPION

Courali Pale pink dress PALE CLOUD Socks GAP KIDS

MARIAH Vestido Roksanda Ilincic @ Alex and Alexa Chaqueta Shona Pat t erson

Shoes JORDAN

Hair & Makeup by Thora @ Kateryaninc using Oribe and Make Up For Ever

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These brands are sold from Tokyo to New York, from Stockholm to Abu Dhabi. Kid’s fashion from Spain can look forward to a bright future… if it keeps on selling abroad. Take a look at these brands that represent the best design from Spain.

By JESÚS ANDRÉS Photos NOEMI DE LA PEÑA Stylist/ Art Director Christina Kapongo

Exports are the key to avoid the crisis: a year ago, fashion brands from Spain -including clothing, shoes and accessories for both men and women and kids - exported 10,000 million € worth of their products, according to Spain’s national bureau for export and investment, ICEX. This organisation puts its worldwide network of offices at the service of companies that are trying to expand their business abroad. Occasionally, it provides funds, advice and assessment as well.

“Due to the economic situation that Spain has been experiencing since 2008, selling abroad or exporting its products is essential for any Spanish brand in this market”, says a spokesman from ASEPRI, the association for the Spanish companies that manufacture products for kids.

Many companies unite forces with these institutions such as ICEX or ASEPRI in order to conquer new markets but many others launch themselves on their own to this international adventure.

In any case, industry figures speak out loud: the 41% of the income of the Spanish companies comes from exports and 3 out of 4 firms sell their products abroad. One of the leading Spanish clothing exporters is Boboli, a Catalan company which sells its clothes in more than 1.300 shops around the world. In the middle of the recession, in 2013, Boboli declared €28 million in sales, 35% of which came from exports. Its success, is not only a matter of excellent management, but also because of its variety of colourful designs, which are versatile and perfect for everyday outfits.

Exports have increased considerably in recent years and have actually doubled since 2012, so that means that companies are investing in selling abroad.

Sevillian clothing brand Motoreta -100% made in Spain- is a good example of this reality. Its very first collection is already being sold in 34 shops in 12 different countries and next winter, this will be expanding to 66 points of sale in 19 countries. The growth is spectacular and is largely due to the company’s presence at international trade fairs. In fact the company does so well at selling abroad that this trade accounts for 90% of its turnover.

Only the 10% of Motoreta’s earnings comes from the Spanish market. To do this, the owners of the company confess that they take part in a lot of international fairs where they promote the added value of their clothes.

In fact, industry fairs such as Pitti Bimbo in Florence, FIMI, (now in Madrid but previously in Valencia), Bubble in London, Playtime in Paris, New York and Tokyo and CPM int Moscow are the perfect shop window for Spanish brands. According to industry data, so far this year, more than a hundred firms have participated in international fairs.

One of the brands that has taken advantage of these international events is Perfect Days, a lovely label from Madrid. Its owner, designer Susana Sánchez, presented her collection, Nómadas, In January at the Playtime Fair in Paris. There she had the chance to meet new retailers and soon her made-in-Spain clothes will be in shops in Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

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NOBODINOZ (2006) Design and quality are key factors for this company, whose philosophy also embraces sustainability and social responsibility. Their carefully-printed fabrics are 100% Spanish. www.nobodinoz.com

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PIÑATA PUM (2014) Unisex, mediterranean, comfortable and relaxed clothes.

The choice of materials and the care in terms of the images printed on them are essential for this young Catalan brand. www.pinatapum.com

Another successful exporter is Bobo Choses , which is particularly successful in Scandinavia. Their sales team travel from one fair to another to promote the brand, which also sells well in South Korea, Japan and Australia. In their case, as with many other companies, the internet and social networking sites are also used to introduce the brand to new customers.

Little Creative Factory, a company whose products are totally designed and produced in Barcelona, is another label with a huge number of retailers all over the world. 75% of their turnover come from exports, mainly to the United States, South Korea, Japan, Belgium and other European countries.

Piñata Pum, which only made its debut this year, also celebrates its mediterranean origins. The company manufactures its clothes in El Maresme, an area close to Barcelona, and uses only natural fibres, which is something its customers in Russia and Belgium in particular, adore.

Despite its italian name, the label Violeta e Federico is Catalan and based in Barcelona. Its workshop there produces all of its collections with fabrics from Spain and other European countries. Half of its clothing is exported and customizes some of its clothes in order to satisfy foreign buyers.

As we can see, the formula for internationalising these brands’ market depends on a variety of factors. They’d all agree on : a competitive product, the right image and staff with the commercial, linguistic and cultural awareness to promote the product to clients

from across the globe . “Patience and entrepreneurship are also two good things -comments an ASEPRI spokesman- budget and strategy are important too. If the company has all these ingredients and has a successful experience in the local market, it is ready to go outside”.

Another helping hand can come, for instance, from organisations such as Barcelona’s Commerce Bureau. It organises courses on digital marketing and international business for those companies who are trying to introduce themselves to foreign markets as well as helping them find local partners or legal support.

A great example of international success is Andalusian label, Mayoral, a giant which sells in more than 60 countries. What is particularly impressive is that the company has 12 international affiliates, one of them in Shangai. It also has boutiques, on their own or franchised, in countries such as China, United Arab Emirates or Russia – markets which have the reputation of being difficult to break into. Mayoral’s president, Rafael Domínguez de Gor, states that it’s not just the company’s clothes which are important to its customers, but the brand’s image. For him, “being good in everything but the best in the key things” is the secret of their huge growth.

But, what other names complete this list of best-sellers? Apart from those who control the distribution (Inditex, with Kiddy’s Class and the kid’s line of Zara; and Mango, with the recent launching of Mango Kids), Desigual, Losan, Nanos, Giosseppo, Garvalin, Neck and Neck -according to ASEPRI- are the Spanish brands that lead the international children’s fashion market. Many of them have subsidiaries in other countries”.

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BOBOCHOSES (2008) Their collections speak the same language that kids do: simple but unique. This brand loves to surprise its customers and to learn from them too. www.bobochoses.com

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YPORQUÉ (2007) Stimulating, playful, comfortable. The creativity of the brand lies basically in the design of each of its garments, that transforms it into something totally new. www.yporque.com

Tuc Tuc is one of these brands - one of the ‘majors’ in the industry – and Asia is where it focuses its efforts – for now. In the past few months, the number of its points of sale in China has reached 30. Japan, Indonesia and Taipei are next on its list. However, Tuc Tuc has not forgotten about the Latin American market and has opened a branch in Mexico, with plans to build a flagship store there soon.

As we can see, selling abroad is extremely important for Spanish companies and brings great rewards. For example, Tuc Tuc’s results in 2012 revealed a turnover of €36.6 million, a 14,3% increase on the previous year. “Nowadays, - quantifies experts- our companies bring in approximately €430 million. Our most important market is the European Union, where Spanish companies sell the 73% of their total exports. Our future targets are countries such as China or Turkey; Latin America, the United States of America and the Middle East are also important markets where we hope to increase the reputation of the “Brands from Spain” label.

As can be seen, it is not all about the money, it is also about name and reputation. Spanish companies, not only those who are related to fashion, are perceived abroad as serious businesses and they are excellent when it comes to negotiating with Asia and the Middle Eastern countries, say international experts.

“Kid’s fashion companies from our country are valuable in terms of design, quality, innovation and price -says a spokesman from ASEPRI- and we show our creations together in international fairs, where we even organise our own catwalks. Spanish fashion fits perfectly well with every child’s needs - from whatever country. Our

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LITTLE CREATIVE FACTORY (2011) This brand believes that ‘slow manufacture’ wins the race.

They produce all of their collection in Barcelona and tell us that their designs are perfect for kids from 0 to 99 years. www.littlecreativefactory.com

clothes are colourful and well designed - among the most important things for our international customers”. The accolades received by some Spanish brands are a sign of this unanimous recognition.

For example, Catalan label, Mon Marcel, was chosen as “best international fashion brand” in 2012 by the jury of the Junior Design Awards. Yporqué, also Catalan, was named “most creative company of the textile industry” by Barcelona’s Commerce Bureau. It was the first time for a children’s fashion brand to receive this honour.

Curiously, one of the main competitors for Spanish brands is also one of their main buyers. According to industry data, Italy accounts for 29% of Spanish exports. Portugal, France, the United Kingdom complete the list. Russia and Mexico are also two important buyers.

South America, however, is a territory which is yet to be conquered

by Spanish brands, with nations such as Paraguay, Chile or Peru.

The industry has an aim: by 2016, exports should represent 50% of the business of a Spanish children’s fashion company. Some of these companies have internationality in their genes, like Nobodinoz (whose textiles are completely made in Spain, but with a French soul -the owners of the company came from there) or Nice Things mini (which has climbed up on the shoulders of its ‘elder sister’, the adult label, Nice Things, which has more than 1.200 points of sale all over the world) and Señorita Lemoniez (the translation of its creator Fernando Lemoniez’s inspiration to the children’s universe, but many others have a lot of work to do yet. Luckily, we are advanced pupils in subjects such as design, quality and innovation.

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VIOLETA E FEDERICO (2007) This company produces its collection in little workshops around Catalonia, demonstrating the creativity and talent of local professionals and feeling proud of contributing to the recovery of the local economy. www.violetaefederico.com

Rug by Lorena Canals

BUHO (2011) Chiiled-out bohemian fashion for kids from 3 months to 12 years. These clothes, with simple lines and neat details, combine fabrics and washing techniques for a soft finish and vintage effect. www.buhobcn.com

Rug by Lorena Canals

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PIU ET NAU (2010) Creative and relaxed and especially for kids, to make them feel free and comfortable iat school, at play and at bedtime.

The company motto? Let kids be kids! www.piuetnau.com

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MON MARCEL (2010) Born in Barcelona, but influenced by both the Mediterranean sea and the French Provence fields, this brand creates simple but luxurious clothes, with personality, sophistication and style. www.monmarcel.es

Rug by Lorena Canals

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MOTORETA (2014) From Seville to the world! The designers behind the brand think that fashion for children doesn’t mean childish fashion.

“Produce local, think global” is their motto. www.motoreta.es

Wallpaper by Coordonné

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SEÑORITA LEMONIEZ (2013) Dressing up is fun. Fashion designer Fernando Lemoniez created this collection inspired by both his own nieces and that lovely cliché of a little girl trying on her mum’s clothes. www.lemoniez.com

Modelos: JULIA MAYER Y VALERIA HERNAN de Sugar Kids y OTTO

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Make up: VERÓNICA GARCÍA

Assistentes foto: SESI MARTINEZ Y BLANCA GARCIA

Assistente Estilismo: JULIETTE LOPEZ

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BOBOLI (1984) The company offers multiple ranges of clothes with a common link: color, surprising patterns and and innovative fabric treatment. With 30 years of experience, Boboli is one of the big names of the business. www.boboli.es

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FLY AWAY

Next to Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport, there’s a space where inspiration flies up into the clouds. Aviatrix is a mix of an art atelier, a café and a boutique where little aviators are invited to get into the cockpit and take off.

By RENATA FACCENDA Photos by JOANA LUZ / MIROSLAV LLIEV

The idea was born in 2010. Me and a photographer friend, both of us with newborn children, realized that we couldn’t get a space in a typical shared artists’ workspace because we couldn’t bring our children us. The usual low budget of those spaces, the activities and the needs of the art community in general are not compatible with the presence of a baby. The installations are often too unstable, the materials too toxic or the air too smoky. The children are too loud and also have specific needs which aren’t always that convenient for everyone!.

to be made for them but always with them. It was so important that the timeframe of the activities, the work and the decisions always considered the children.

In 2012, and with another partner, we started the idea of adapting our own art space and finding people with the same needs to work with.

The Aviatrix project comes from this attempt to create a collective and independent place where artists could work in the presence of children. It meant lots of risk, but at the same time lots of freedom.

Unfortunately, due to some disagreements, I decided to close that particular project and founded another one with artists who were really committed to the initial concept. I got together with Sarah Salters (a kid’s clothing designer), who was one of the artists working at the old workspace, and we founded the Aviatrix. New collaborators and some of the artists from the old project joined us, and now there are ten artists working in three rooms. We are an international team (France, USA, Brazil -where I was born-, Italy, Bulgaria, Berlin), and we love museums as much as we love street life - all those aspects can be seen in our space, products and activities.

The main aim was always art, but the children could take part in its creation in a natural way, interacting with the work of the artists while the artists would, in turn, be inspired by their prescence. We were keen that all the activities in the space did not necessarily need

It worked so well (and so quickly), that we soon rented all the spaces available, we had articles in the media, we were invited to collaborate with other organisations that were working in a similar way, and we had very good feedback from other artists and the public in general.

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The Aviatrix is located just a few metres from what used to be Tempelhof airport and is now a huge park. Because of this location, the flying concept was always in our mind. When we started our research, we found out that in the past, lots of amazing women all around the world, challenged the norms of their societies by learning to fly - a traditionally male activity. We also found out that these women were usually involved in political and artistic movements. This was so inspiring, we decided to use the first word used to name them, the latin word , Aviatrix - such a beautiful, oldschool futuristic name.

In the Aviatrix, we create but we also showcase our work and organise exhibitions. For example, thanks to furniture we’ve designed and made ourselves, once a month, one of our rooms can be turned into a gallery, with a pop up exhibition always connected to a workshop for children, devised by another artist or some of us.

This programme is called Vin Fiz. Using exactly the same structure as we use for the professional artists in this programme, we have developed another one, called Piper, consisting of exhibitions made by children or curated by them. In addition, we are about to launch the ZSM (Zwei Stunden Mit = two hours with) programme. Once a week for two hours, our artists or guests discuss their ideas with small children. It takes place in a mezzanine room, which is designed to resemble a tree house. It’s called the Children’s Atelier and right now, it’s a bit like a squat - it’s full of graffiti on the walls, floor and ceiling, made by the children, their parents and us.

We don’t see Aviatrix as a closed place to work. We want contact with the public, we want to interact with them, to learn… and we want to offer them some more services, too. We invited Sonia Ivanova, an experienced gastronomy professional, who is involved in many other cultural activities to set up a café here in keeping with our principles and the concept of the place.

The Café offers delicious food and drink from all over the world, made with hig-quality products, and always including vegan options: italian bio coffee, homemade chai from India, a selected assortment of teas from different countries, vegan cakes based

on traditional brazilian recipes and spanish popular ‘bocadillos’ with selected olive oil, cheese and ‘embutidos’, brought from local producers in Spain.

The Boutique is the place where we showcase our own work and also sell design and art pieces from all over the world, which we love and find inspiring, and hope our customers do too.

Berlin is the only big city in Europe where this type of project could happen as an independent initiative. The quality of life and the freedom that people living in Berlin enjoy is something unique. My husband is from Bulgaria but we met in Berlin through mutual friends.

He came here 15 years ago to study Economics and I came because I was in love with Berlin and tired of Barcelona, 5 years ago. Now, we have a daughter who has just turned 4 years old. When we first came to live in this neighborhood, Neukölln, there was nothing here. People were still focused on the Kreuzberg area, the airport had just closed and they still hadn’t realized the potential of this neighborhood. Little by little empty shops were rented, and artists, students, restaurants and bars, started to move in. It’s brought some negative effects (gentrification, abusive prices, etc) but it’s such a cool area to live.

It’s very exciting to be able to create something that you’ve dreamt about and be part of such a huge movement; please visit us and be a part of our community. Come fly with us!

aviatrixatelier.de

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EUROPEAN TOUR This season we travelled around the continent, visiting three of the most interesting European trade fairs in Florence, Düsseldorf and Paris in our search for what’s new in the business.

By NAIF MAGAZINE

PITTI BIMBO - FLORENCE. Our favorites among the 450 exhibitors at the fair? Caramel Baby & Child, Péro, Spanish brand Señorita Lemoniez, and others like Belgian label Anne Kurris, or Cucu Lab, Frugoo, Orimushi... The streetwear style was led by American Outfitters, Finger in the Nose and Spanish brands like Boboli. What about shoes? French label, Pome d’Api and Spanish UNISA and Natural World stood out. Pitti means italian luxury as well, like Missoni or Fendi.

THE LITTLE GALLERY - DÜSSELDORF. This fair showcased 70 kids’ fashion brands as well as lifestyle products. The

strength of this event lies in the way it conveys the individuality required in the kids’ sector. It was a place for exchanging experiences, with inspiring speeches by experts and bloggers.

PLAYTIME - PARIS. Visiting this fair is always a pleasure; it’s a great opportunity to get in touch with our favorite brands and support their international growth. This year, the number of visitors reached a record level: 8164 visitors! Playtime played host to 400 collections, 2/3 of them from outside France, and buyers from 69 countries.

PLAYTIME

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THE LITTLE GALLERY

AN INDONESIAN TOUCH 104

From France to Spain and then to Indonesia and Australia. At the end of her journey, Grethel Signamarcheix found a new life and embarked on a new career. The stylist explains how she spends her days working in Indonesia with the brand ‘Bakker made with love’.

LIFESTYLE

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By GRETHEL SIGNAMARCHEIX

After finishing my studies in Paris, where I had also been working for a while, I decided to move to Barcelona, with just my backpack. I didn’t speak Spanish, I had no job there, no friends, no plans.

But that was one of the best moments of my life, because everything seemed possible, new, beautiful….

I stayed in Barcelona for almost five years, working as a stylist for Nobodinoz and Naif Magazine, meeting really special people and leading a perfect life. But after some time, I began to get tired of the same old routine and wanted to once again experience the magic of discovering a new place.

So, I decided to do it again. Leaving my job was a difficult decision, but my desire to discover the world was much stronger. I packed my rucksack and bought a one-way plane ticket.

I remember so clearly that moment at the airport, that sensation that anything could happen. Your whole life fits into a 20kg backpack, you’ve sold what you couldn’t bring with you, you’ve said goodbye to your family and friends and you don’t know when you’re going to see them again. You really don’t know your precise destination so they couldn’t reach you easily if they needed to. It’s a great feeling a real buzz - but it’s also a little scary.

But I was eager to discover more of Asia. And so I returned, visiting Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore. Everything was so different but so beautiful.

After this year of adventures, I was missing only one thing: the creative work I love so much. As the daughter of a painter, I grew up in an artistic environment and it was this that I needed to experience again.

I got in touch with Valerie Bakker, who I had met the year before in Bali. She offered me a job working with her. It was a dream come true: to travel, to live in this country I loved so much and to work for a company I really loved. How could I refuse? Now I’m a stylist and production manager at ‘Bakker made with love’.

Working with Indonesians is such an interesting experience. It can be difficult, initially (and even more so if you don’t speak the language) because they have a different way of living and working. In Europe it’s full on – everything has to be ready yesterday. We get really stressed and we’re so competitive. Here, it’s the opposite; everything’s really relaxed. Needless to say, this can be a bad thing as well as good!

First stop Jakarta. I headed straight from this bustling city on a trek across the island of Java. I went from volcano to volcano, marvelling at every single temple I saw. Everything was so different there: people, smells, flavours, beliefs, scenery.

Bali’s artisans can manufacture almost everything using traditional techniques and with perfect results. There’s no limit to their creativity – they are amazing. You learn lots of ancient techniques such as making Batik with wax, weaving, printing fabrics and working with bamboo and leather. Everything that is made is by hand, unique, and with so much care and attention.

After a month travelling through Indonesia (Java, Bali, Lombok, Gili) I decided to go to Australia and then spent 8 months travelling in a van round the Western part of the country. I saw deserts full of Aboriginal art, the most glorious sunsets I’d ever seen and stopped to work on farms and in hotels just to earn enough to keep on moving and discovering more about this amazing country. This was the aim of this year: to see as much as possible and to learn to live with less.

However, working in such a traditional way has its downsides. Bad weather in the wet season can slow down the production of prints which are dried outside or there could be a powercut. Something else which can get in the way are religious holidays – there are so many in the Hindu religion that you need to plan carefully to avoid possible delays in production.

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What I love so much about Bali is the mix of religions. It’s so nice to be in a workshop and see see Muslims, Hindus and Catholics all working together in harmony and respecting each others’ religions.

This mixture, the ceremonies, the food, the architecture; the culture here is so different to Europe and so rich. Every morning, as I pass the rice fields on my scooter, I smell the spices and the incense and hear the music in the temples – you couldn’t put a price on this. I have such a perfect life.

In the evening, I go to my Indonesian language class or go surfing at sunset while Valerie prefers to practice yoga. Also, there are lots of concerts - so much to fill your life with.

My routine here is very simple. I wake up early, at sunrise, because here we live much more in tune with nature. I have breakfast in a ‘warung’ (a kind of street-vendor’s stall) and think about what needs to be done. Then I ride my scooter to the factory. There, I check the patterns and the samples and take care of production issues that have arisen. I have meetings with Valerie to discuss new collections, company strategies, our online shop, or to look for new fabrics and suppliers. I love working with Valerie as we have the same outlook on life and work; we’re really suited to each other.

I often visit small villages around Bali, sourcing, negotiating prices and checking out materials and workshops. I spend a lot of time driving in the hot sun but for me these trips are what inspire me most, when it comes to developing new ideas - after all I’m surrounded by so much beauty. I love clothes which are non-conformist, which tell a story and which have a touch of something from here and a hint of something from over there.

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KUDU:

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A UNIQUE CREATURE

ESPECIAL DECORACIÓN

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What is a Kudu? Antonio Caballero, Casualplay Project Manager, describes one of the most interesting strollers on the market. It is inspired by nature, so it moves gracefully through the urban jungle.

By JESÚS ANDRÉS

Let’s start with a little wordplay, ok? Give me a noun that defines the Kudu stroller.

Innovation Now, an adjective.

Unique.

It’s the turn for a verb.

Go-out-and-have-fun? Would that be fine? Altogether?

Say an adverb.

I don’t really like adverbs, because they’re limited as a concept but since the Kudu stroller involves freedom, I’d say, “freely”.

Now, let’s try to put all these concepts together in a new sentence: You’ve never seen anything like this!

What does the Kudu have that make it so unique?

This stroller has its own style. It’s inspired by nature; its form came to us during a trip to Africa. Kudu is the local name for a type of antelope of the savannah. These animals have a powerful body, muscular legs and a slim head, it’s an impressive and beautiful creature.

What are the most important features of the Kudu as a stroller?

It’s a chair for every situation – its functions are totally centred around the baby’s needs. There’s a backrest which fully reclines to the horizontal, a reversible seat, adjustable footrests, an extendable canopy - with a window so you can check if the baby is sleeping, removable armrests, an easy-to-use safety harness and an extracomfortable thermoformed mat. The stroller folds right down, so it fits into tiny spaces when you want it out of the way. We’re not just artists obsessed by aesthetics; our first concern is always the user.

What makes this stroller a cut above the rest?

You just have to take one look at it… its unmistakable style plus its high performance make it unique. Nowadays, you can’t just say you’re better by pointing to figures. It’s got to look good. It’s got to look special. You can’t really try to stand out from the crowd just by looking at its performance statistics on a bit of paper. It’s got to be stylish, it’s got to have a visual coherence and project a sense of harmony. That’s what makes products really special.

Journalists often ask “who is your intended audience?” but let me put it another way… Who is not your target customer?

Dictators, ambassadors of evil, army Generals, people who spit on the sidewalk, zombies... but apart from these heartless individuals, the Kudu stroller is designed for everyone!

Who would you like to see pushing a Kudu?

Maybe a panda ? Now that would be funny!!!

What would make someone choose a Kudu over any other stroller?

Wanting to be different but without making a big deal of it by pushing something bizarre-looking. It should all be about looking and feeling good while going out.

Can you think of a situation that would involve the stroller evolving further?

There is no lack of imagination in this design team! So, why not the first space stroller? We need to keep looking ahead, one day space travel will just be part of our day-to-day lives.

What inspires you when you’re designing a stroller?

Inspiration can strike you like lightning during a summer storm. A designer must be quick to capture that bolt of inspiration. At Casualplay, we are always willing to take on new ideas and concepts, trying to get as close as possible to seeing things from the point of view of the newborn.

Definitely, a natural environment is preferable and more beneficial for a baby. That’s why nature is always our starting point when thinking about a new stroller. Animals and plants are our greatest influence, they teach us how to co-exist with the urban wildlife around us. I am talking about organic forms, a cohesive aesthetic and visual harmony. All these factors make our strollers stand out in the customers’ eyes. Our focus is on including the most useful features whilst maintaining a balance between function and design. We don’t want to build ridiculous ‘Transformers’! I’m confident our strollers will be seen as classics in years to come.

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And in general, what inspires you? What are your aesthetic references (art, music, fashion...)?

I’m passionate about music. When I get a creative block, a good track is the best medicine: an album for every occasion, a song for every moment. But you must know how to filter and absorb everything, because you can be missing something really amazing. Every now and then, I come across something I’ve never heard before – something new or even old. I love that feeling. Right now, I am listening to an American band called Future Islands, but I must confess that sometimes I also need some Spanish poetry.

When I get that feeling I always put on some Los Planetas tracks. To get the blood flowing, I put on something by Iggy! As you can see, I bounce from old to pop, to punk, etc. Let’s open our minds and let ourselves go!

How will the Kudu evolve?

The Kudu was born as a three wheeled stroller. The following year, the family grew and we launched a four-wheeled model with a more urban look. But the story doesn’t end there. Who knows? The space Kudu, a mini Kudu, a flying Kudu…

Only time will tell, but there’ll be new additions to the family soon!

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You know how we’re often told it’s good to let the child within us express him or herself? Well these youngsters do it full time! They’re studying to work in the challenging world of design for children at the IED Barcelona Escola Superior de Disseny, and are destined to become the leading innovators of the future.

By JESÚS ANDRÉS Photos MATTEO CINTI

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JESS PALMA - MONTEVIDEO (URUGUAY) - 28

“Even though I am an accessories designer, I feel quite restricted designing them for adults only, and have been wondering if I could do the same for kids.

Why not? It would mean more freedom and more imagination. I need the change of direction because I’ve been feeling like I’m starting to do my work mechanically. Illustration is my main skill. From my childhood, I remember the backpacks that my dad used to bring back for me from Europe - I loved them!!!”

02 ÁNGELA RAMÍREZ - MANIZALES (COLOMBIA)-23

“I studied Fashion Design.

My final project consisted of developing my own brand. So I thought… Why not do something different?

Why not launch a label for kids? My inspiration was my 5 year old sister, and I really enjoyed the work I did. As a designer, I prefer a style which is more grown-up and I want to create adult-looking clothes for boys who see themselves as a bit rebellious. When I was younger, I used to sneak into my brother’s wardrobe. I often stole his trousers because I loved the way they made my figure look more masculine”.

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ANA MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ - BOGOTÁ (COLOMBIA) - 20

“I discovered this world at University, while I was attending drawing lessons.

I believe that children have a wider perspective of the world we live in; their minds are more open to possibilities than adults’.

For example, why can’t we create a t-shirt that smells like a strawberry? I’m sure that a grown-up wouldn’t even consider wearing something like this. Since children are constantly learning, they are more likely to accept a new fashion concept. And we mustn’t forget color - my dad is an architect, but he’s also an artist. He painted pictures but I didn’t remember them as real art, I just remember them as colors and shapes! “

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ALEJANDRINA REJÓN - MÉRIDA (MEXICO) - 26

“I am an architect but I I’ve always been surrounded by fashion and clothes design. Buttons and needles were as familiar to me as dolls when I was a little girl. My mum owns a clothing brand, which she launched when she was my age. It’s a very traditional label, with classic outfits and ceremonial dresses.

My mom’s brand has evolved reasonably well over the years, but I would like to make some changes to the brand, so that’s why I decided to come to Barcelona to do this course. I want to create something new, modern, edgy - a pair of formal trousers maybe?

I think that’s quite unusual for a girl! As far as I can remember, I wore dresses and skirts when I was younger. But I’m convinced that another kind of look is possible for girls”.

ALEJANDRA OSORIO - MEDELLIN (COLOMBIA) - 27

“When I was studying at University, I had the chance to practise leather design and I created shoes, belts and bags for both adults and children. I was particularly excited about designing for children. I got a job in a fashion company in Ecuador and eventually they thought I would fit well into their kids design department. I also used to babysit for a few families, so I’ve always been very aware of how children think . My main focus is on developing eco-friendly clothing but I’m bored of all the conventional beige, brown and green fabrics that so many brands use. Why can’t they design colorful and bright clothes?”

06 CHRISTINA SCHARNY - FRANKFURT

(GERMANY) - 27

“After University, I started working in a company that designed denim kidswear and quickly that fabric became my passion! I changed my point of view about the fashion business and decided to follow this path I had unintentionally discovered. I’m very concerned about the process of manufacturing denim: fair trade and sustainability should be the two priorities of this industry. For instance, we need to think how to save water when producing denim. Researchers found that more than 8.000 litres are used just to produce a pair of blue jeans. Of course, I wore jeans when I was a little girl! They had ingrained green grass stains on the knees, because I spent my afternoons playing in the garden!”

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JOSEFINA MARTINI - CÓRDOBA (ARGENTINA) - 20

“Argentinian designers are very rooted in their heritage. I don’t think it’s a bad thing and that we should go further, designing without hiding our origins. Creators from all around the world have fol-

lowed this path and have become successful in their work and so should we. What I love about kids’ fashion is that it offers you the chance to play, to innovate, to evolve when designing. As a little girl, I always wore whatever I wanted”.

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NICOLÁS FIGUERAS - BARCELONA (SPAIN) - 21

“Kids are inspiring - you feel so free when you have to design a product for them but it should contain something educational as well. When working on the lockers that Lars and I created for a school in Barcelona, we also had the chance to solve the space problem the building had.

If I’d had these pieces of furniture when I was a kid, I’m sure I wouldn’t be so messy now! It makes a difference when we have the chance to design something productive for children’s future - a product that can teach them how to become a more responsible person, a better person. What makes the locker we’ve designed so special is that it is a metaphor of inclusion and responsibility. Everything fits in. Everyone has to be a part of keeping it tidy”.

09

LARS PIHL - GOTEBORG (SWEDEN) - 28

“The lockers I developed with Nicolás for the school were a fun and challenging project, because children have a different way of seeing things. A locker has always been something static and boring, but we had to create something that kids could interact with, that they’d think was cool. I feel really comfortable designing for kids. It would be great fun to design playgrounds, both the elements that they are conformed by and their distribution in the space. A school playground and a playground in the city would be really different from one another. Multi-functionality is the key when designing something for children”.

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DESIGN

05

ESPAÑOL

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l TRADUCCIÓN

ENT REVISTA

EL NEGOCIO ESTÁ AHÍ AFUERA ESTAS MARCAS SE VENDE EN TOKYO Y HASTA EN NUEVA YORK, EN ESTOCOLMO E INCLUSO EN ABU DHABI. LA MODA INFANTIL ESPAÑOLA TIENE ANTE SÍ UN FUTURO BRILLANTE… SI SIGUE VENDIENDO EN EL EXTERIOR. OS PROPONEMOS QUE ECHÉIS UN VISTAZO A ESTAS FIRMAS QUE REPRESENTAN LO MEJOR DEL DISEÑO HECHO EN ESPAÑA. Por Jesús Andrés La exportación es la clave para sortear la crisis: hace un año, las ventas exteriores de las marcas españolas de moda -incluyendo las que fabrican ropa, calzado y accesorios tanto para hombre como para mujer o niños- alcanzaron los 10.000 millones de euros, según datos del ICEX. Este instituto pone su red internacional de oficinas a disposición de las empresas que están tratando de abrirse paso en el extranjero. Además, les proporciona financiación, asesoramiento y evalúa sus avances.

“Debido a la situación económica que España atraviesa desde 2008, vender fuera es esencial para cualquier marca española del sector”, afirma un portavoz de ASEPRI, la asociación que aglutina a algunas de las principales empresas que se dedican a manufacturar moda infantil.

Muchas empresas unen sus fuerzas a instituciones y corporaciones como el ICEX o ASEPRI para conquistar nuevos mercados pero muchas otras emprenden por sí solas la aventura de internacionalizarse.

Sea como fuere, las cifras del sector no dejan dudas: el 41% de los beneficios de las empresas españolas proviene del exterior y tres de cada cuatro vende, de hecho, sus productos en el extranjero. Una de las firmas que lidera el segmento es Boboli, una firma catalana que vende sus creaciones en más de 1.300 puntos de venta en todo el planeta. En plena recesión, en 2013, Boboli declaró unas ventas de 28 millones de euros. El 35% de este total se debió a la exportación. Su éxito se debe tanto a la buena estrategia que sigue la compañía como a que no ha descuidado sus diseños coloridos y versátiles, ideales para el día a día.

En los últimos ejercicios, las exportaciones han crecido exponencialmente, de hecho, se han duplicado desde 2012, síntoma de que las empresas están invirtiendo en seguir vendiendo fuera.

La marca sevillana Motoreta -100% hecha en España- es un buen ejemplo de esta realidad. Su primera colección ya se vende en 34 establecimientos de 12 países diferentes. La próxima, estará disponible en 66 tiendas repartidas en 19 países. El crecimiento de la firma es espectacular y se debe, en buena medida, a su apuesta por estar presente en ferias internacionales. De hecho, el 90% de los ingresos de Motoreta se debe a la venta exterior, sólo el 10% proviene del mercado local. Por eso, para sus dueños es vital promocionar en las ferias extranjeras el valor añadido de sus productos.

De hecho, certámenes como Pitti Bimbo en Florencia, FIMI (ahora en Madrid, pero antes en Valencia), Bubble en Londres o Playtime (en París, Tokyo y Nueva York) o CPM en Moscú son el mejor escaparate para la moda infantil española.

Según las cifras que maneja el sector, en lo que llevamos de año, un centenar de firmas nacionales han participado en este tipo de eventos.

Una de las creadoras que ha sabido aprovechar este escenario es Susana Sánchez, de la encantadora firma madrileña Perfect Days. Ella misma presentó su colección Nómadas este pasado enero en Playtime Paris y tuvo la ocasión de conocer nuevos intermediarios que pronto venderán sus prendas en Tokyo o Abu Dhabi.

Otro ejemplo sobresaliente es el de Bobo Choses, cuyo éxito es muy destacable en Escandinavia, por ejemplo. Su equipo de ventas viaja de feria en feria para promocionar sus colecciones y lograr que se vendan

en Corea del Sur, Japón o Australia. En su caso, como en el de tantas otras empresas, el manejo de internet y de las redes sociales ha sido esencial para llegar a nuevos mercados y consumidores.

Little Creative Factory, cuyos productos están diseñados y fabricados en Barcelona, es otra de esas firmas con un gran número de puntos de venta en el extranjero. Un 75% de sus ingresos proviene de la exportación de sus prendas a países como Estados Unidos, Corea del Sur, Japón, Bélgica y otros países europeos.

Piñata Pum, que ha debutado este año, reivindica sus orígenes mediterráneos para presentarse ante el mundo. La compañía produce sus creaciones en la comarca de El Maresme, cerca de Barcelona, y usa solo fibras naturales, algo que adoran los compradores rusos y belgas particularmente.

A pesar de su nombre italiano, la empresa Violeta e Federico está radicada en Barcelona. Su taller produce toda su colección con tejidos procedentes de la Unión Europea. La mitad de su stock se exporta y hasta se customiza para satisfacer los gustos de los compradores internacionales.

Como se puede apreciar, la fórmula para vender afuera tiene diversos ingredientes. Por una parte, todas las compañías ofrecen un producto competitivo y son conscientes de la importancia de contar con una buena imagen y un equipo profesional con aptitudes comerciales, manejo de lenguas y conocimiento de otras culturas. “La paciencia y el espíritu emprendedor son siempre bienvenidos en este tipo de acciones -comenta un portavoz de ASEPRI- y no debemos olvidar que una estrategia planificada y un presupuesto holgado son indispensables. A todo lo anterior, se debe sumar una experiencia exitosa en el mercado local. Entonces, es cuando se puede intentar vender a otros países”.

Una interesante ayuda es la que proporcionan, por ejemplo, organismos como la Cámara de Comercio de Barcelona. Esta institución organiza cursos de marketing digital y de negocio internacional para aquellas compañías que tratan de penetrar en nuevos mercados. Además, les ayuda a encontrar socios locales y les asesora legalmente.

Un buenísimo ejemplo de éxito internacional es la marca andaluza Mayoral, un gigante que vende en más de 60 países. Lo que resulta particularmente llamativo de su caso es que cuenta con 12 filiales internacionales, una de ellas en la mismísima Shanghai. También cuenta con tiendas (propias o en régimen de franquicia) en China, los Emiratos Árabes Unidos o Rusia, mercados en los que resulta muy complicado entrar. El presidente de Mayoral, Rafael Domínguez de Gor, defiende que su éxito no sólo depende de la calidad de sus colecciones sino también de la buena imagen de la compañía. “Ser bueno en todo y ser el mejor en lo clave” es, según él, el secreto de su crecimiento.

Pero, ¿qué otros nombres completan esta lista de best-sellers internacionales? Aparte de las empresas que dominan la distribución (Inditex, con Kiddy’s Class o las líneas infantiles de Zara; y Mango, con su recién estrenada Mango Kids), otros nombres importantes son, según ASEPRI, Desigual, Losan, Nanos, Gioseppo, Garvalin y Neck and Neck.

Tuc Tuc es otra de estas empresas, otra de las grandes del sector. Asia es el terreno donde esta compañía tiene fijada su estrategia de crecimiento. En los últimos meses, ha alcanzado los 30 puntos de venta en el continente.

Japón, Indonesia y Taipei son sus próximos objetivos. Sin embargo, Tuc Tuc no olvida el mercado iberoamericano y cuenta con una filial en México, donde, en breve, abrirá su primera “flagship store”.

Es evidente que exportar no sólo es importante para las marcas españolas sino que les reporta notables beneficios. Por ejemplo, en 2012, Tuc Tuc ganó un 14% más que el año anterior, con 36,6 millones de euros. “Hoy en día -afirman los expertos- nuestras compañías generan unas ventas internacionales de unos 430 millones de euros. El 73% de este volumen de

negocio se realiza con países de la Unión Europea. Los mercados que son interesantes de cara al futuro son China y Turquía, así como Latinoamérica, EEUU y los países de Oriente Medio, donde es muy oportuno dar a conocer la buena reputación de la ‘marca España’.

De hecho, en este negocio no todo es cuestión de beneficios, sino de buena imagen. Según los expertos del sector, las compañías españolas, y no sólo las relacionadas con el sector de la moda infantil, son percibidas como interlocutores serios y muy hábiles sobre todo en materia de negociación con mercados como el asiático o el Oriente Próximo. “La moda infantil española cuenta con mucho valor añadido, sobre todo, en lo que a diseño, calidad e innovación se refiere -destacan desde ASEPRI- y, por eso, es importante enseñarla en el extranjero, cuando asistimos con ellas a ferias internacionales y organizamos eventos y pasarelas. La moda infantil española encaja perfectamente con las necesidades de los niños de cualquier país. Sus prendas son coloridas y están bien diseñadas, dos aspectos irrenunciables para los compradores extranjeros. Los reconocimientos que muchas de las firmas españoles han recibido avalan este buen hacer. Por ejemplo, la firma catalana Mon Marcel fue seleccionada como “Mejor marca internacional” por el jurado de los Junior Design Awards en 2012. La también catalana Yporqué fue nombrada la “compañía más creativa del sector textil” por la Cámara de Comercio de Barcelona. Era la primera vez que una firma de moda infantil merecía este reconocimiento.

Curiosamente, uno de los principales competidores de las firmas españolas, es uno de los mercados que mejor acoge sus diseños: Italia. El 29% de las exportaciones de empresas españolas de moda infantil tiene como destino el país transalpino. Portugal, Francia y el Reino Unido son también mercados preferentes para estas marcas. Rusia y México están ganando enteros en esta clasificación y Sudamérica, pese a todo, sigue siendo un territorio poco explotado, con mercados muy apetecibles como Paraguay, Chile o Perú.

El sector tiene un objetivo: en 2016, las exportaciones deberían representar la mitad del volumen de negocio de las empresas españolas de moda infantil. Algunas de ellas, llevan la etiqueta “internacional” en su ADN como Nobodinoz (cuya colección textil se confecciona enteramente en España, aunque sus propietarios son franceses), Nice Things Mini (que ha crecido gracias al empuje de su ‘hermana mayor’, la línea adulta de Nice Things, con más de 1.200 puntos de venta en todo el mundo) o Señorita Lemoniez (la traslación de la inspiración de su creador, Fernando Lemoniez, al universo infantil). Aún queda mucho trabajo por hacer pero, por fortuna, los creadores españoles son alumnos avanzados en materias como diseño, calidad e innovación.

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FOTOGRAFÍA

UNA HISTORIA DE COMPROMISO LA ARTISTA CLAUDIA ANDUJAR HA PASADO MÁS DE 30 AÑOS TOMANDO FOTOGRAFÍAS DE LOS YANOMAMI, UNA TRIBU QUE VIVE EN LA PROFUNDIDAD DE LA SELVA AMAZÓNICA. DESPUÉS DE TODO ESTE TIEMPO, ASEGURA QUE SU PROYECTO ES UNA TAREA QUE AÚN NO HA TERMINADO. Por SUSAN MARCH Fotografías CLAUDIA ANDUJAR Según la fotógrafa Claudia Andujar, la razón de ser de un retrato es que pueda ser entendido como una profunda y sentida reflexión para tratar de entender al prójimo. Durante más de tres décadas, la célebre artista ha pasado larguísimas temporadas conviviendo con la tribu de los Yanomami, uno de los pueblos más aislados del mundo. Sus instantáneas muestran una manera de vivir y una actitud ante el entorno que son verdaderamente diferentes. La suya es una historia de compromiso. “En cierto modo”, explica, “se trata de una implicación vital que se ha manifestado de maneras muy diversas a lo largo de los años. En ocasiones, han sido meras fotografías, en otras, se ha traducido en un auténtico compromiso con los derechos de aquellas tierras, con la libertad de aquellas gentes y sus formas de expresión cultural”.

La carrera de Andujar fue exitosa desde el comienzo. En 1960, algunas de sus piezas fueron seleccionadas por el MoMA de Nueva York como parte de una exposición de fotografías que incluía nombres como el de Capa, entre otros. A pesar de ello, la artista siempre ha tenido los pies firmemente amarrados al suelo y siente, ante todo, una enorme gratitud por los acontecimientos que ha tenido la oportunidad de presenciar.

“La fotografía es mi manera de comunicarme con el mundo. Es un proceso en dos direcciones, durante el que se aprende y se recibe tanto como se da”.

Su vida ha estado marcada enormemente por su herencia judía y por la pérdida tanto de su padre como del que fue su primer amor durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Estos antecedentes han formado su carácter como artista y su punto de vista como fotógrafa. No es difícil comprender, por tanto, por qué se implicó con la causa de los Yanomami. Andujar nació en Suiza en 1931 pero pasó su infancia en Rumanía y Hungría, la patria de su padre.

A los 13 años, ella y su madre huyeron a Suiza después de que su padre fuera deportado al campo de concentración de Dachau, donde finalmente murió. Después de pasar por los Estados Unidos para estudiar, en 1955 recala definitivamente en Sao Paulo (Brasil), donde la joven fotógrafa comenzó a colaborar con destacadas revistas.

En los 70, comenzó a involucrarse con la problemática de los indígenas del Amazonas. “Acompañé a algunos médicos en una expedición a la zona”, explica. Eran los años del llamado “milagro brasileño”, un período de rápido crecimiento económico que tuvo lugar durante la dictadura de los 60 y los 70, y el territorio de los Yanomami estaba siendo invadido por la construcción de nuevas carreteras y minas. “Con toda aquella actividad, con las excavaciones en busca de oro y diamantes y minerales”, recuerda, “el número de explotaciones, tanto legales como clandestinas, se multiplicó y muchos nativos sufrieron las consecuencias durante años”. Con aquellos doctores, que también estaban alarmados por la amenaza que suponía este desarrollo incontrolado para las tri-

bus locales, Andujar formó un equipo y visitó la zona. Ofrecieron a los Yanomami tratamiento ante las enfermedades que habían introducido los trabajadores y monitorizaron las actividades de las compañías que campaban a sus anchas en aquella región hasta entonces virgen.

No fue una tarea sencilla. Los mineros habían impuesto sus propias normas en la zona y el ejército, afín al régimen, les amenazaba continuamente con cancelarles los visados y expulsarles del país.

Por fortuna, Andujar había recibido la nacionalidad un año antes. Una de las responsabilidades de la fotógrafa era la de crear registros sobre la salud de los indígenas, considerados como “salvajes y vagos, -explica- y con nulas habilidades para las actividades económicas de los blancos”. “Para hacerlo, les colgábamos del cuello una etiqueta numerada a cada uno de los que ya estaban ‘vacunados’. Era un intento de protegerles”, comenta. A la vez, Andujar admite que con ello crearon una especie de nueva identidad para aquellas personas, con un sistema totalmente ajeno a su propia cultura. “Quise mostrar las vicisitudes que rodearon aquel proyecto usando las fotografías que disparé en aquel momento. No trataba de justificar esos números alrededor de sus cuellos, sino de explicar un asunto sensible, ambiguo, que puede causar dolor y desconsuelo”. Aquel testimonio de los Yanomami como “individuos etiquetados” se ha transformado con los años en un trabajo que cuestiona precisamente el hecho de categorizar a las personas, cualquiera que sea el motivo.

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VIAJE

EN EL CAMINO, BR 232.

Por JOSEÁN VILAR Si Jack Kerouac, el afamado escritor de “En el camino”, hubiese sobrevivido a los 47, reconocido a su única hija y decidido viajar con ella por Brasil, seguramente habría escrito algo sobre la BR 232, una carretera de mas de 500 kilómetros que atraviesa de este a oeste el estado de Pernambuco (Brasil), conectando la costa paradisíaca y maravillosa con el “sertão”, un vasto y árido territorio de gran riqueza cultural en el que las agujas del reloj parecen pesar toneladas.

Todo surgió de una visita al Museo del Artesanado de Recife, un edificio nuevo en el centro de la ciudad, que nos dejó totalmente maravillados con su contenido. Allí cayo en nuestras manos una pequeña guía titulada “Ruta 232: un itinerario de gastronomía, artesanía y cultura”. Comenzamos a hojearla y nos pareció tan interesante que a los pocos días salíamos de Recife dirección a lo desconocido.

El tráfico fluía caótico y ruidoso sorteando la saturada urbe hasta que milagrosamente conseguimos tomar el desvío al inicio de nuestra ruta que nos alejaría de toda aquella locura. La autovía de dos carriles y asfalto bastante decente, iba dejando atrás la ciudad y sus zonas periféricas haciéndose cada vez más rural, con grandes explotaciones de caña de azúcar que resbalaban por las suaves colinas. Mirábamos por las ventanas el trasiego de la carretera y sus márgenes, repletos de puestos clandestinos de fruta, quesos y otros productos hasta que llegamos a nuestra primera parada: Bezerros.

Al llegar al pueblo fuimos directamente al Centro de Artesanado donde nos enseñaron una fantástica exposición llena de piezas increíbles: trabajos en ilustración, cuero, barro, madera, papel... ¡Era sorprendente! Allí descubrimos que Bezerros es famoso por sus máscaras y por los Papangús, un personaje de carnaval típico de esta región, pero el mayor exponente de la cultura local es sin duda J. Borges, ilustrador y xilógrafo de fama internacional al que no es difícil encontrar trabajando en su taller.

Comimos sin pena ni gloria en una típica “churrascaría” muy básica, donde sirven comida al peso, y continuamos camino. Al llegar a Caruarú nos desviamos para conocer la famosa feria de la ciudad, la mayor de todo el estado, donde gente de todos lados se encuentra para comprar y vender todo tipo de productos a precios increíbles.

Destaca el trabajo del cuero en zapatos, bolsos y otros objetos.

La ciudad también tiene una gran tradición de artesanía en barro, centrada en un barrio llamado “Alto de Moura”, con el ya fallecido Mestre Vitalino como principal referente. Volviendo a la ruta, paramos a comprar en un pequeño puesto de la carretera donde una mujer con sus hijas y una cabra atada a un palo vendían fruta.

Mi hija Valentina se acercó al pobre animal y cuando quise darme cuenta...¡ya estaba jugando y riendo con las niñas! Se lo estaban pasando tan bien que nos quedamos un rato allí conversando con la madre y con la cabra... ¡Uno de los momentos más surrealistas que he pasado en toda mi vida!

Tras mucho esfuerzo conseguimos despedirnos y llegamos a Belo Jardim, otro pueblo donde visitamos el Centro de Artesanado “Tareco e Mariola”, un pequeño edificio muy apañado con una buena

variedad de trabajos de artesanos y artistas locales, muchos de ellos aprovechando los desechos de una fábrica de baterías de coche que ocupaba la ciudad y daba trabajo al 60% de la población. ¡Era realmente muy imaginativo!

Algunas de las piezas que más nos gustaron eran de una pequeña comunidad en medio del campo que trabajaba el barro y fuimos directamente a conocerles. En unos minutos estábamos en medio de la nada tratando de encontrar un pequeño poblado. Tomando varios desvíos y preguntando a cada persona que veíamos, finalmente conseguimos llegar. Cabras y gallinas nos miraban curiosas como si hubiesen visto un extraterrestre... En cierto modo lo éramos cuando bajamos del coche. Valentina, como de costumbre, rápidamente se abalanzó sobre unas niñas que jugaban a lo lejos entre las casas de ladrillo sin revocar. Cuando nos aproximamos, ya estaba el hielo más que roto... Conversamos con las mujeres, que eran las que trabajaban el barro (los hombres estaban en la ciudad trabajando en la construcción) y nos explicaron todo el proceso y sus inspiraciones mientras las niñas correteaban entre gallinas y cerdos. ¡Fue fantástico! La sencillez y amabilidad de estas personas nos conmovió, y por supuesto no pudimos evitar llevarnos varias piezas fantásticas.

Caía la noche y nos despedimos con la promesa de volver algún día para hacer una residencia artística con ellas. Pasamos la noche el un hotel de Belo Jardim y a la mañana siguiente retomábamos la BR 232 en dirección a Sanharó, ciudad famosa por el comercio de quesos y carne de buey y cabra. Hicimos una parada para degustar y comprar algunos productos y era realmente difícil no comprar, pues todo era muy nuevo y muy barato.

De vuelta a la carretera hicimos un largo trecho para llegar a Arcoverde, ciudad conocida por el “samba de côco”, una música y baile típicos de las fiestas que en junio se celebran en todo Brasil. Allí nos desviamos hacia el parque natural de Vale de Catimbau para conocer las formaciones kársticas y sus secretos de la mano de un guía indígena de una de las tribus que aún habita la región. Caminamos cerca de tres horas por paisajes de “caatinga” (la vegetación típica de esta zona árida) que parecían de otro planeta, mientras el guía nos enseñaba cómo se las apañaban para conseguir agua en un lugar como aquel.

Las rocas se levantaban majestuosas dibujando formas de animales gigantes mientras los buitres, también gigantes, nos sobrevolaban...

El calor era tremendamente seco y el polvo se levantaba a cada paso.

Encontramos unos huesos de vaca esparcidos por el suelo y Valentina cogió algunos como recuerdo. Continuamos hasta llegar a una roca donde el guía nos mostró unas pinturas rupestres de más de 4.000 años, nada menos. Parecía increíble que estuviesen ahí, en medio de la nada sin ninguna protección más que la de aquellos amenazantes buitres.

Sin saber muy bien cómo, llegamos al lugar donde habíamos dejado el coche y volvimos a la civilización atravesando ese árido paisaje de colores cambiantes, casas de adobe y burros transportando bidones de agua a las casas. Me invade una mezcla de tristeza y admiración por la gente que persiste en este duro mundo parado en el tiempo.

L a última parada del viaje fue para cenar en el Restaurante Belo Jardim, un lugar sencillo de comida regional y deliciosa, justo lo que necesitábamos para acabar la aventura. El camino de regreso a casa transcurre al atardecer, con las chicas durmiendo a mi lado y todos aquellos recuerdos embriagadores llenando mi cabeza de inspiración.

The international children’s trade show

2-4 Agosto, 2014

Del 5 al 7 de Julio, 2014

Del 2 al 4 de Agosto, 2014

Del 26 al 28 de Agosto, 2014

www.playtimeparis.com

www.playtimenewyork.com

www.playtimetokyo.com

Organización

Picaflor Inc. • E-mail contact@playtimenewyork.com • Tel +1 212 563 7301 • For trade only

illustration Philip Giordano

New York, USA

The international children’s & maternity trade show

illustration Philip Giordano

5 - 7 Julio, 2014 Paris, Francia

Del 5 al 7 de Julio, 2014

Del 2 al 4 de Agosto, 2014

Del 26 al 28 de Agosto, 2014

www.playtimeparis.com

www.playtimenewyork.com

www.playtimetokyo.com

Organizaciòn

Picaflor s.a.r.l. • E-mail contact@playtimeparis.com • Tel +33 1 43 72 75 37 • For trade only