São Paulo Fashion Week is one of the biggest events in the industry in Latin America. Brazil’s high fashion designers grace the walkways every year with their latest looks. But this year, the city has cut back on its budget for the event. With about $950,000 less invested this year than last, SPFW will not have the same luxurious parties and fashion installations. In fact, the catwalk itself – which cost around $3.17 million – will have to carry this year’s event. Big-name designers from the city like Ronaldo Fraga and Reinaldo Lourenço won’t be showing their work. Rather, the event will feature a number of fashion newcomers. Among the new names, 15 designers will be watching their models walk for the first time. Maison Alexandrine, Sissa, and Two Denim are some of the new Brazilian designers to join the event. “It’s going to be a really unique event because this time we’ve brought together big and small,” said Paulo Borges, founder of SPFW, to the Brazilian media. Cutting back – the classic designers who will be showing their works this week have also felt the recession firsthand. Brazilian designers have experienced competition in the textile market from Asia since the turn of the century. High Brazilian brands like Osklen, Ellus and Gig Couture have delays in getting designs to suppliers. This year, Osklen’s collection will feature cheaper materials that he himself fabricated. “We have to focus on what we do best and be more efficient,” said Oskar Metsavaht, the owner of the brand’s owner group Alpargatas.