The conclusion of the first half of São Paulo Fashion Week 2024 happened last Sunday, April 14, 2024, on the roof of the Martinelli Building. João Pimenta‘s runway show, the most important fashion week in South America ended the event with a runaway full of looks and references to surfing, skateboarding and street culture.
The theme of the 57th edition of the event was “harmony” (or “sintonia”, in the good old Brazilian-Portuguese). The fashion show took place in one of the most iconic spots in the city of São Paulo, a historic building celebrating its 100th anniversary. The different setting complemented the looks very well, with a color palette of old pink, and shades of beige and gray – reminiscent of the building’s centenary.
The designer used and abused sportswear and a lot of streetwear, updating his repertoire at fashion week with more casual outfits such as polo shirts, printed T-shirts, cargo shorts and pants, plaid, and tie-dye. All this while also continuing with the brand’s flagship: tailoring.
Forty looks from the collection were shown and returned at least three times on the catwalk, where new layers of clothing were added, a real harmony and connection with youth movements. The main idea of the collection was to represent the flow of people, styles, and identities on the busy streets of São Paulo. This way, there was no better place for this show than one of the city’s most emblematic architectural landmarks.
but what’s the story behind the Martinelli Building?
As said, in 2024, the Martinelli Building will complete its 100-year history. For many years, the edifice was the tallest building in Latin America. With a luxurious frontage, ornamentation, and the legends surrounding it, the building continues to arouse the curiosity of many.
Back in 1893, the Italian Giuseppe Martinelli, a young immigrant who dreamed of becoming an architect arrived in Brazil and started to work as a butcher. After being invited to an export company, in which he worked for many years, Giuseppe became a great businessman and was able to found a shipping company in 1917.
By the 1920s, Martinelli was already one of the richest men in São Paulo. With that, he conceived and realized one of his greatest dreams: architecture – a work he did with great impact, marking the city of São Paulo forever. After five years of construction, the Martinelli Building was finally inaugurated in 1929, with traces of classic French architecture.
The building, located right in the center of the state’s capital, was Brazil’s first skyscraper. To this day, it represents the symbol of progress in the city, which was growing industrially and becoming rich from coffee exports. It also marked the verticalization of the city, a new concept in civil engineering with imported materials.
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The article above was edited by Clara Rocha.
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