Moda como linguagem global: os desafios do marketing internacional na tradução da estética brasileira para o mercado europeu entre 2019 e 2025

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the cultural translation of Brazilian identity contributes to the positioning of Brazilian fashion brands in the European market, as well as the tensions that arise between cultural valorization and exoticization during this process of international circulation. Based on the understanding of fashion as a symbolic language capable of producing meanings and creating differentiation, this research investigates how elements associated with “Brazilianness” are reinterpreted and mobilized by Brazilian brands in their international marketing strategies. To this end, it adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in a literature review and comparative analysis of case studies of the Farm Rio and PatBO brands between 2019 and 2025. The empirical corpus includes collections, international fashion shows, visual merchandising campaigns, initiatives to enter the European retail market, participation in prestigious international events, and content produced by specialized fashion media outlets, as well as communication materials produced by the brands. The analysis demonstrates that the internationalization of Brazilian fashion does not stem from the simple export of products or national symbols, but from the ability to translate cultural references into aesthetic narratives capable of engaging with different contexts of reception. In this process, Farm Rio constructs a sense of Brazilianness associated with tropicality, nature, and sensory experience, while PatBO mobilizes a sense of Brazilianness linked to artisanal luxury and aesthetic sophistication. The results show that Brazilianness does not function as a fixed or homogeneous identity, but rather as a symbolic repertoire open to multiple interpretations and strategic mobilizations. Although they adopt distinct strategies, both demonstrate how cultural identity can be converted into a strategic resource for differentiation and value creation in highly competitive markets, especially when linked to processes of legitimization promoted by institutions, events, and central spaces within the international fashion system. Furthermore, it is noted that the international circulation of these narratives takes place within a field shaped by pre-existing expectations about Brazil, causing certain signs of “Brazilianness” to be more easily recognized and legitimized than others. Thus, we conclude that cultural translation constitutes a central mechanism for the international integration of Brazilian fashion, while also revealing the negotiations, adaptations, and symbolic disputes involved in the construction of images of the country on the global stage