MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: One of My Bikini Brazil’s latest crochet bikinis. TOP AND CENTRE: From the company’s polyamide–Lycra range: the black triangle bikini top with low surfer-style bottom. ABOVE: Hand-made crochet bikini top with front ties and bikini bottom with side ties.

OT MANY brands spring to mind when it comes to Brazil. The country has one of the most exotic and aspirational images, thanks to carnivals and the models that are closely tied to the nation: Gisèle Bündchen and Ana Hickmann are readily named. But in Brazil itself, foreign brands have more cachet and few have seen the potential, Carlos Miele excepted, of taking Brazilian culture to the world. Many manufacturers, for example, would rather produce under OEM contracts so their own labels are never exposed publicly.

The country has one of the most exotic and aspirational images, thanks to carnivals and Gisèle Bündchen and Ana Hickmann. But in Brazil itself, foreign brands have more cachet

   If Brazilian culture is used, more often than not it is a foreign company finding appeal with South America’s biggest country. My Bikini Brazil is an exception of sorts: company director Tammy Baldino hails from southern California, graduated at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and currently lives abroad in southern Brazil, where she has run her firm since September 2002.
   The company has been exporting for most of the time since, with a high-quality line made of 85 per cent polyamide and 15 per cent Lycra.
   Baldino found some obstacles to getting her company to an export stage. She found that Brazil is largely monolingual; consequently, the country culturally places less of an emphasis on exports. However, she was in a fortunate position with her company, which has both English and Portuguese as its languages. She and business partner, Brazilian-born Jorge Baldino, have been able to put their entrepreneurial skills to good use.
   With experienced manufacturers in Santa Catarina, Brazil, My Bikini Brazil has combined traditional expertise with just-in-time manufacturing and a wide range of fabrics and designs.
   Using joint ventures and traditional distribution channels, My Bikini Brazil has been able to enter numerous export markets (Canada, California, New York, Singapore) and this month opened a new office in Hawaii.

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