Tunisian Entrepreneurs Introduce Fouta To Brazil

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – Brazilians are still largely unfamiliar with the Tunisian fouta. Two Arab entrepreneurs, however, are determined to change that and turn the fashion item into a regular feature in wardrobes in Brazil. Lamia Hatira and Alia Mahmoud, both with Tunisian and US roots, founded the company Fouta Harrisa in São Paulo with this as one of their missions.

Originally used in the hammam-an Arab or Turkish bath similar to a sauna-the fouta is a traditional Tunisian textile measuring two by one meter that can be used as a sarong, scarf, skirt, towel, blanket, or even as décor.

“One day I went to Rio and brought my fouta, our Tunisian fouta, and people were very impressed. I realized it wasn't just a sarong made of better-quality cotton, but something very essential for Brazilian life that didn't yet exist here,” Hatira told ANBA.

Like most textile products, the fouta also became an industrial item over the years and began to be made with cheaper, synthetic raw materials instead of cotton. This is not the type of piece the two partners sell in Brazil, however, but rather the handcrafted ones, which carry symbolism.

“Mahmoud and I have shared a passion for Tunisian craftsmanship since childhood. Tunisian handicrafts are so rich-they represent each element of the culture and tell a lot about the history of our culture,” Hatira said.

Fouta Harissa's pieces are made by three partner artisans in Tunisia: one who produces 100% cotton foutas, another who works with linen foutas, and a third who makes silk scarves, which are also sold by the company.

“There are fewer and fewer artisans nowadays. It's very easy to find a factory that makes any kind of fouta, but it's much harder to partner with small artisans,” Hatira explained, making clear that these are the suppliers they work with.

The partners opened the fouta business in Brazil in 2018 but closed it in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp rise of the dollar against the real. In November last year, they reopened the business.

Currently, the pieces are sold in Brazil through the company's website, at the Noda Cozinha store in the Pinheiros neighborhood of São Paulo, and at some events. The company is rebuilding its distribution network, which in 2018 even included hotels.

Hatira says the piece is currently most often used in Brazil as a beach wrap. She prefers not to call it that, however, because the term is associated with a lower-value accessory, the fouta has many uses beyond the beach, and she has taken on the mission of promoting it by its original name.“It's an opportunity and a great challenge to communicate the product,” she said.

Hatira says the fouta is already very well known in Europe.“It's a symbol of the Mediterranean. Today in France, Italy, and Spain you see the fouta-and they do call it fouta-used on all the beaches. It's become a globally desired item, but especially in Europe,” the entrepreneur said.

Hatira believes the fouta can also succeed in Brazil as a beach item.“In Brazil there are many holidays, people travel during holidays and value those trips. If you're going to Bahia, Floripa, or Rio and you've already bought your cute swimsuit, you'll also want a chic fouta to take with you,” she said.

Between Tunisia, the US, and Brazil

Hatira lives in São Paulo. Mahmoud lives in the United States. Both have a Tunisian father and an American mother, and with lives moving back and forth between the two countries, they met through activities related to social entrepreneurship and sustainability and ended up identifying shared personal missions.

Both were members of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum that brings together young leaders.“Back then we thought, when we have a company, we can be partners,” Hatira said.

Hatira first came to Brazil in 2012 due to her work at a sustainability consultancy, for which she conducted a study on copaíba, a plant from the Amazon. The Tunisian returned to Brazil in 2014 for an environmental conference, but it was later, while pursuing a master's degree in Sweden, that she met the Brazilian man she would later marry.

The fouta business emerged from the interest Lamia noticed among people she knew in Brazil in her personal piece.“I started buying and bringing these foutas from Tunisia to Brazil,” she said about the early days of the business.

After being invited to supply a store in São Paulo, they decided to structure the business with her friend Alia and turn Fouta Harissa into an initiative with positive social impact in Tunisia. In addition to establishing the company in Brazil in 2018, they opened the business in the U.S. in 2019 and continued working on it there when they closed the Brazilian operation.“Always with the intention of returning to Brazil in some way,” she said about what eventually happened late last year.

Fouta Harissa remains open in the U.S., but the entrepreneurs' focus is Brazil. The partners also plan to start bringing other traditional Tunisian products to the Brazilian market, including harissa (the item referenced in the company's name), a sauce or paste made with ingredients such as chili pepper, olive oil, and garlic. As part of its expansion strategy, Fouta Harissa became a member of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC ) last year.

The partners

Mahmoud holds a BA in International Development Studies from George Washington University and a Master of Science in International Private Sector Development from New York University. One of the positions she held was regional manager of Corporate Citizenship for the MENA region at Microsoft.

Hatira holds a BA Communication Studies and Spanish (minor in Philosophy) from Seattle University and a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership for Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology. One of her professional roles

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Translated by Guilherme Miranda

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