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Find out more about Carlos Sobral
During the hippie movement of the late 1960s, Carlos Sobral, deeply impressed by the culture of that time, began making leather bags, sandals with rubber soles, and metal jewelry that had been corroded in acid. Until then, Sobral's products hardly differed from the work of thousands of artisans. These pieces were sold in restaurants, at art fairs and cultural events. After all, Sobral jewelry was already available in the most important markets, such as the famous Ipanema hippy market.
When Sobral discovered polyester synthetic resin, he immediately wanted to work with this material. In 1978 he set up a small factory in the back yard of a farm on Tatù Gamela Street in Jardim Alvorada in Nova Iguacu. At that moment Genesis was born, the company from which Sobral would emerge years later.
Despite its small size, Genesis had success in the fashion world. The pieces that Sobral created quickly found their way into the media. The hippie movement ended in the 80s. Fashion reached new heights and became more sophisticated. The production adapted to the demands increased by the fashion revolution and developed new standards. New business areas were opened up. In the middle of this process, in 1981, Sobral founded Memphis. More structured and better equipped than Genesis, the new factory shared a shed near the Nova Iguacu center with a samba school.
In 1982 the founder of Memphis, then 31 years old, traveled to Paris in search of new customers. Inexperienced and unable to speak French, Sobral arrived in Paris in the middle of the July 14th celebrations. He had a presentation case in his luggage. Despite his will to win, Sobral encountered great difficulty doing business due to the holiday season. He returned to Europe the following year, but this time he chose the right moment. He carried almost 120kg of goods with him. In Paris, Sobral jewelry was soon sold through a well-thought-out delivery system and Sobral's products quickly won the admiration of Europeans. This opened the path for a regular flow of exports which made Memphis widely known in Brazil and abroad.
Finally in 1994 the brand name SOBRAL was created.
Sobral currently sells its brand in France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and other countries through a network of exclusive dealers.