New York's MoMA stores are currently featuring Brazilian product design and designers. It's like Carnaval for design, but less naked.
Many items are simply great pieces that happen to be from Brazilian designers. Naturally ArtifactNouveau has pulled some highlights that dive a little deeper.
This clutch is hand-woven from traditional Chita fabric. This charismatic cotton fabric immigrated to Brazil with the Portuguese. It's typically printed with large colorful flowers and fell out of fashion as a bit stereotypical and passe. It has recently experienced a revival as trendy Brazilian designers like Jussara Lee use the traditional fabric in new ways.
Brazil's reputation as a leader in the furniture market is growing at a ridiculous rate. By 2006 estimates the $6.6 billion industry supports 16,000 furniture factories, and the sector employs 195,000 people. The industry continues to expand despite the rough global economy.
Of course it is the the vast amount of resources available in Brazil make it natural fit for furniture production, for better or worse. These "Wooden Block Robots" attempt to make the most of these resources as they are made from scrap wood from furniture factories.
$6.6 billion also happens to be the GDP of one Gisele Bundchen. No word on how her scraps can be recycled but Leonardo DiCaprio seems to be doing just fine.
Last we have a figa charm, abstracted from the traditional figa hand symbol. The figa, protection from the "evil eye" especially for mothers and children, has its roots in Ancient Rome. The symbol has made a storied journey through history and humanity to be "imported" to Brazil where it's meaning has evolved to a simple, but well known good luck symbol.
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