DFB Festival 2025: Showcasing original design and local identity in Brazil

Catwalk show space Credits: Eduardo Maranhão In Pictures Between May 14 and 17, the Ceará Events Centre in Fortaleza hosted the 2025 edition of the DFB Festival. With Claudio Silveira as the event's creator and director, and Helena Silveira as executive director, the festival brought together original designers and brands in catwalk shows, talks and discussion panels. There were also stands and an exhibition featuring fashion and homeware brands, with the aim of encouraging reflection on the paths of creation through the integration of tradition, innovation and local identity. Straw chandeliers in the homeware exhibition Credits: Marta De Divitiis/FashionUnited Claudio, at the opening of the event, highlighted the festival's role as a platform for visibility for Ceará fashion. He emphasised: “Here we celebrate the creative energy of our people, which has made Fortaleza synonymous with design, a city that breathes creativity and innovation (the city was awarded the title of Creative City of Design by Unesco - editor's note). Much of this is possible thanks to the joint efforts of civil society and the government.” Among those present were government authorities for culture and tourism, as well as representatives of companies supporting the festival, which had the theme ‘Original Intelligence’. Leather and straw bags on an accessories stand Credits: Marta De Divitiis/FashionUnited New Talent Competition Through the New Talent Competition, the DFB Festival featured catwalk shows by students from various educational institutions who competed for a prize of 20,000 reais. The participants were: Unifor (Ceará), UFCA (Ceará), IFRN (Rio Grande do Norte), Senai RN (Rio Grande do Norte), Unipê (Paraíba), Unama (Pará), UFMG (Minas Gerais) and UCS (Rio Grande do Sul). The top three were UCS – Universidade de Caxias do Sul (RS), which won the prize of 20,000 reais, followed by Unama – Universidade do Amazonas (PA) and Unipê – Centro Universitário (PB). Look from the UCS collection, which came first in the New Talent Competition Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Patchwork dress in holographic material in the Unama look, second place in the New Talent Competition Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Mix of materials in the dress and cape from the Unipê catwalk show, third place in the New Talent Competition Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Lace, Upcycling, Handmade and Sophisticated Shapes Lace patchwork on the Melk Zda dress and jacket Credits: Eduardo Maranhão The Catarina Mina dress has lace inserts forming geometric designs Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Coloured lace top, straw bag and tailored shorts at 100 percent Ceart Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Asymmetric lace blouse with tailored palazzo pants from the brand Almerinda Maria Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Jonhson Alves worked ruffles and transparencies into the dress Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Dress with applied rouleau loops from the brand Hand Lace Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Lindenbergue opted for illustrations inspired by paintings by Egon Schiele Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Crochet wheel top imitating the print of the skirt at Oco Club Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Tailored piece worn with a macramé top, by Vitor Cunha Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Fluid dress with a print in warm tones, by Marina Bitu Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Animal print, lace and embroidery in the George Azevedo look Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Wide trousers and shirt developed from denim waste from the brand Creations Lil Credits: Eduardo Maranhão David Lee used tea towels to develop shirts and blouses, trimmed with crochet Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Almir França developed a collection with waste from uniforms from the energy company Enel, which supports the event Credits: Eduardo Maranhão Well-made tailoring on the trousers and blouse with functional pockets, by Bruno Olly Credits: Eduardo Maranhão This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@fashionunited.com

May 27, 2025 - 16:25

DFB Festival 2025: Showcasing original design and local identity in Brazil

Sala de desfiles — Catwalk show space *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

In Pictures

Between May 14 and 17, the Ceará Events Centre in Fortaleza hosted the 2025 edition of the DFB Festival. With Claudio Silveira as the event's creator and director, and Helena Silveira as executive director, the festival brought together original designers and brands in catwalk shows, talks and discussion panels. There were also stands and an exhibition featuring fashion and homeware brands, with the aim of encouraging reflection on the paths of creation through the integration of tradition, innovation and local identity.

Lustres de palha na exposição de decoração — Straw chandeliers in the homeware exhibition *Credits: Marta De Divitiis/FashionUnited*

Claudio, at the opening of the event, highlighted the festival's role as a platform for visibility for Ceará fashion. He emphasised: “Here we celebrate the creative energy of our people, which has made Fortaleza synonymous with design, a city that breathes creativity and innovation (the city was awarded the title of Creative City of Design by Unesco - editor's note). Much of this is possible thanks to the joint efforts of civil society and the government.” Among those present were government authorities for culture and tourism, as well as representatives of companies supporting the festival, which had the theme ‘Original Intelligence’.

Bolsas de couro e palha, em estande de acessórios — Leather and straw bags on an accessories stand *Credits: Marta De Divitiis/FashionUnited*

New Talent Competition

Through the New Talent Competition, the DFB Festival featured catwalk shows by students from various educational institutions who competed for a prize of 20,000 reais. The participants were: Unifor (Ceará), UFCA (Ceará), IFRN (Rio Grande do Norte), Senai RN (Rio Grande do Norte), Unipê (Paraíba), Unama (Pará), UFMG (Minas Gerais) and UCS (Rio Grande do Sul).

The top three were UCS – Universidade de Caxias do Sul (RS), which won the prize of 20,000 reais, followed by Unama – Universidade do Amazonas (PA) and Unipê – Centro Universitário (PB).

Look da coleção da UCS, que ficou em primeiro lugar no Concurso dos Novos — Look from the UCS collection, which came first in the New Talent Competition *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Vestido de patchwork de material holográfico no look Unama, segundo lugar no Concurso dos Novos — Patchwork dress in holographic material in the Unama look, second place in the New Talent Competition *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Mix de materiais no vestido e capa do desfile da Unipê, terceiro lugar no Concurso dos Novos — Mix of materials in the dress and cape from the Unipê catwalk show, third place in the New Talent Competition *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Lace, Upcycling, Handmade and Sophisticated Shapes

Patchwork de rendas, no vestido e jaqueta Melk Zda — Lace patchwork on the Melk Zda dress and jacket *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

O vestido Catarina Mina tem inserções de renda formando desenhos geométricos — The Catarina Mina dress has lace inserts forming geometric designs *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Top de renda colorida, bolsa de palha e bermuda de alfaiataria na 100% Ceart — Coloured lace top, straw bag and tailored shorts at 100 percent Ceart *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Blusa assimétrica em renda com pantalona de alfaiataria da marca Almerinda Maria — Asymmetric lace blouse with tailored palazzo pants from the brand Almerinda Maria *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Jonhson Alves trabalhou babados e transparências em vestido — Jonhson Alves worked ruffles and transparencies into the dress *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Vestido de rolotês aplicados na marca Hand Lace — Dress with applied rouleau loops from the brand Hand Lace *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Lindenbergue apostou nas illustrações inspiradas em quadros de Egon Schiele — Lindenbergue opted for illustrations inspired by paintings by Egon Schiele *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Top de macramê imitando a estampa da saia em Oco Club — Crochet wheel top imitating the print of the skirt at Oco Club *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Peça de alfaiataria usada com top em macramê, de Vitor Cunha — Tailored piece worn with a macramé top, by Vitor Cunha *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Vestido fluido, com estampa em tonalidades quentes, de Marina Bitu — Fluid dress with a print in warm tones, by Marina Bitu *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Animal print, renda e bordados no look de George Azevedo — Animal print, lace and embroidery in the George Azevedo look *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Calça ampla e camisa desenvolvidos a partir de resíduos de denim da marca Creations Lil — Wide trousers and shirt developed from denim waste from the brand Creations Lil *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

David Lee utilizou panos de prato para desenvolver camisas e blusas — David Lee used tea towels to develop shirts and blouses, trimmed with crochet *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Almir França desenvolveu coleção com resíduos de uniformes da empresa de energia Enel, que apoia o evento — Almir França developed a collection with waste from uniforms from the energy company Enel, which supports the event *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

Modelagem bem feita na calça e blusa com bolsos funcionais, de Bruno Olly — Well-made tailoring on the trousers and blouse with functional pockets, by Bruno Olly *Credits: Eduardo Maranhão*

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.