Anba:
Colour is one of their main characteristics. They are earrings, necklaces, bracelets, costume jewellery of the most varied mixtures of colours. They started being developed by designer Carlos Alberto Rezende Sobral, from Rio de Janeiro, in the 1970’s, and are currently worn by women in dozens of countries. The products are also in the Arab countries. Importers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon usually buy the costume jewellery that Carlos Alberto sells wholesale in Paris, France.
They are made out of polyester resin that, apart from bringing smooth texture to the product, shows the colour. It all began, in reality, when Carlos Alberto discovered the resin in products made by an Argentine artisan who was visiting Cabo Frio, on the coast or Rio de Janeiro state. It was the end of the 1970’s. In 1980 the designer had already opened a company, RSobral, and developed collections for Brazilian stylists. The foreign market came a little later, when the artisan packed his products and travelled to sell them in France.
France is currently a great gateway for Carlos Alberto’s jewellery. RSobral has a showroom in Paris where his products are distributed to various countries. The designer does not know to how many. ‘They (foreigners) go to the showroom, purchase the jewels and take them,’ he says. But he knows that among his clients are some Arabs. One of the oldest Arab clients, from Saudi Arabia, who started buying the products in 2001, has also proposed the opening of a brand franchise in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
Negotiations about the matter should proceed next year. The Brazilian businessman wants to wait a while for the idea of franchises to mature, as it was only born about three years ago. RSobral jewellery is currently sold at four of their own stores in Rio de Janeiro, and at one wholesale and one retail store in France. There are also franchises in Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, Porto de Galinhas, in Pernambuco (2 states in NE Brazil), in Portugal and Spain. The products are also directly imported from Brazil into England, Australia, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, the United States, South Africa and Spain.
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