FROM PORTUGAL DEBUTS AT INTERIOR LIFESTYLE LIVING
Tokyo Big Sight will be the stage of the next IFFT - Interior Lifestyle Living fair, in the Japanese capital. The event takes place from 20 to 22 November and will be attended by four Portuguese companies, who are headed to Japan with the support of the Associação Selectiva Moda as part of the From Portugal internationalisation project.
The IFFT - Interior Lifestyle Living fair is renowned as one of the best furniture and home articles fairs in Japan.
This year's event has four Portuguese exhibitors – Burel Mountain Originals -Carapau Portuguese Products – Ditto - Sugo Cork Rugs – which make up the Portuguese delegation, led by the Associação Selectiva Moda.
“We’ve been meaning to test the Japanese market for some time”, explains Rita Faria, designer at Carapau Portuguese Products, in relation to the brand's first visit to this fair. “It could be a good market for our brand given that the Japanese have shown interest in our products in other fairs we have participated in”, she adds. A highlight of the collection that the brand will present are the wool and linen hand-sewn dolls.
Also making its debut at the fair, Ditto is presenting its “byline” collection, comprising a range of articles fixed on walls and which have both a decorative and practical function, as they allow objects and papers to be neatly stored away. “We selected the Japanese market and this fair in particular because we believe that our byline collection is well suited to both. It will be the first time we’re at this fair, but we’ve taken part in two previous Interior Lifestyle Tokyo fairs, which is held in June”, explains brand manager Mário Lobo. ”This market, due to its potential and size, is very important for our brand”, he adds.
For the first time in Japan, Sugo Cork Rugs will present a special collection of 8 rugs in Tokyo, designed by the textile designer Susana Godinho, who created the brand. “Japan is one of the markets where we intend to become recognised and earn a good name as we believe our product matches the values and demands of this market in terms of design and innovation. We hope our participation will lead to broad acceptance and interest in our product, as well as finding potential importers and distributors for the Japanese market”, states Susana Godinho, designer and creator of the brand. It is a collection with a contemporary, sustainable and innovative design, that recovers the origins and tradition of the art of weaving, intertwined with the use of cork. The articles created are woven with an innovative and special cork tape, combined with natural linen and national wool or recovered cotton. The collection presents a palette of discreet colours, in neutral and raw tones.
The fair covers around 9,000 m2 of display space, occupied by 450 exhibitors from 14 different countries. In its last edition, the fair attracted around 20,000 visitors from 31 countries.
The participation of these 4 portuguese companies in IFFT - Interior Lifestyle Living was organised by From Portugal 2017, an initiative promoted by Selectiva Moda and ATP - Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal (Association of Textiles and Clothing of Portugal), which aims to promote the internationalisation of Portuguese companies in the fashion area. The From Portugal 2017 project is co-financed by Portugal 2020, under Compete 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation. The value of eligible support totals EUR 12,422,824.75, of which EUR 6,815,741.00 is provided by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.
