helena montanarini

Created almost three years ago, the newspaper aQuadra arises amid the global tendency of recovering the value of print, strengthening the sense of community that exists beyond the digital.

Aiming to value human beings, supporting local issues and, of course, bringing people closer together, combined with a handcrafted design, aQuadra already reaches 16 thousand readers in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The printed newspaper, which circulates at no charge every two months in the neighborhoods Jardim Paulistano, Higineópolis and Vila Madalena (Sao Paulo), and in Arpoador (Rio de Janeiro) is an invitation for its readers to learn about the best there is in their communities.

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Le Lis Blanc’s menswear brand. Helena Montanarini led the complete project. Concept, brand and logo creation and definition, defined the consumer profile, designed the launch strategy, led the team of designers, coordinated the local and international purchases. Helena defined the decor and style of the stores, chose the architect, the managers, the uniforms. Suggested the barbershop and tailoring services, which at this stage were a novelty in men’s stores in the country. Defined the content and mood of the website, the store windows and catalogs. In other words, she created the brand, which was considered by Monocle Magazine “the best men’s fashion flagship store in South America”.

Alex Atala’s Restaurant, who introduced the Brazilian cuisine to the international standards. The concept was created by Helena Montanarini in partnership with the chef himself and the architect Marcelo Rosenbaum. To compose the environment, Helena researched furniture, crockery, cutlery, glassware and objects used in the old mining colonial farms.

Also took care of purchases, uniforms, music, flowers, all the details.

For this São Paulo decoration store full of personality, Helena Montanarini used fashion trends to put together furniture, objects, clothes and accessories, creating a space where everything goes with everything. As curator of style, she developed unique products in partnership with Brazilian designers and craftsmen, and led the research and purchase of imported items.

The first Brazilian concept store. Brought together fashion, jewelry, flowers, sex shop, a multimedia lounge and restaurant on a 1800m2 area designed by the renowned architect Isay Weinfeld and concept by Giovanne Bianco. In addition to the collection Chocolate, created and produced in Brazil, the store offered a mix of masculine and feminine brands. Helena Montanarini was responsible for: style direction, researching international trends, curating and purchasing of imported collections, accessories and objects. She also created the uniforms, defined the sales team and established a new and more modern service to clients. Another innovation was the dynamic way to showcase products, creating constant sense of movement and novelty. Corners with unusual products such as fruits and rare birds, also surprised customers.

Conceived by Helena Montanarini, Daslu Homem was the first multi-brand luxury menswear of the country. It changed the way Brazilian men shopped for clothes and from there on Brazilian man changed their attitude towards clothes and became interested and began to understand fashion. More importantly, began to choose and buy their own clothes, a role almost exclusively adopted by women until then. Helena was multitasking: she created the concept of a man’s club, set the mix of imported brands – over 60, implemented the store, oversaw purchasing, marketing, promotion and put together a team of differentiated salespeople. As style director, launched the private label collection, another success story. The project consolidated its name in the male lifestyle segment.

In 1988, when Villa Romana, the leading menswear brand in Brazil, signed the license agreement with Giorgio Armani Italy to launch the brand in Brazil, the country was still closed to imports. It was not simply to sell imported products but to develop and manufacture here every piece of each collection, a challenge for the director of the brand, Helena Montanarini, which accounted for the entire process and was the “bridge” between Brazil and Milan: every 3 months, took all first samples to be personally approved by signore Armani and his style team. Also was responsible for the implementation and opening of four stores (first in 1989), franchises and for the brand awareness.