NORMANDO
By Emidio Contente and Marco Normando
Rooted in Belém, state of Pará
Based in São Paulo, state of São Paulo
Photo by Gleeson Paulino
Model Yasmin Morais
Smoked jacket
2020
Smoked Amazonian latex on cotton cambric
This jacket is made from smoked latex extracted from the Amazonian rainforest. The latex is spread over cotton cambric stretched on a wooden frame and fixed with nails. It is then
smoked using babassu tree bark and dried from sunrise to sunset, creating its distinctive gradient tone. Up to 90% of each latex panel is used, including the trimmings, as seen in the nail marks on the jacket.
Inspired by the classic denim jacket, this piece challenges the environmental cost of conventional fashion. While denim is among the most polluting materials in the industry, this
jacket is fully biodegradable – including the buttons made from wood or other natural materials. It contains no chemicals or derivatives and requires no water in its production. The
smoked latex was developed by artisans from the local rubber tapper’s association in the state of Rondônia, supporting forest conservation and local livelihoods.
Established in 2020 by partners Emidio Contente and Marco Normando, the brand draws on Amazonian heritage to source and create contemporary pieces from sustainable materials
such as wild latex and malva fibre. The brand’s approach combines forest preservation and cultural continuity, reflecting a commitment to design and regenerative practices.
Courtesy of the brand
Top Brasil
Vândalos do Apocalipse Collection, 2024
Mixed Amazonian woods (pau-Brasil, jackwood, coffee, miri, laurel oak, teak, purple cedar,
kassia manja, canary wood, Brazilian walnut)
Fin de Siècle petticoat
2025
Jute and Amazonian malva
Crafted from native Amazonian woods by artisan Carlos in the interior of Pará. The Brasil top takes the shape of the country’s map, with each state carved from a different type of wood, symbolizing the uniqueness of each region.
The Fin de Siècle petticoat draws inspiration from the formal dresses worn by Brazil’s elite during the rubber boom at the turn of the 20th century. This period, marked by the extraction of latex, temporarily positioned Amazon as a key supplier to meet foreign demand, especially from the burgeoning North American automobile industry. Seeking to challenge and decentralise this historical narrative, Normando designed the bespoke petticoat for indigenous model Emily Nunes to wear at the 2025 Vogue Ball. Jute and malva are sustainable fibres that grow in the Amazon’s floodplains. They are harvested, dried, and then woven.
Established in 2020 by partners Emidio Contente and Marco Normando, the brand draws on Amazonian heritage to source and create contemporary pieces from sustainable materials such as wild latex and malva fibre. The brand’s design combines forest preservation, cultural continuity, and regenerative practices.
Courtesy of the brand
Burned fields dress
It Rains at the fields of Cachoeira, Collection nº5, 2025
Digitally printed EcoVero viscose
This dress interprets the theme of Chove nos campos de Cachoeira (1941), the novel by Pará-born writer Dalcídio Jurandir after which the collection is named. It reflects on the
devastating effects of rainforest burning, a practice used to clear land for cattle grazing. The print poses a stark question: do we want the forest standing, green and alive, or reduced to
ash?
Established in 2020 by partners Emidio Contente and Marco Normando, the brand draws on Amazonian heritage to source and create contemporary pieces from sustainable materials
such as wild latex and malva fibre. The brand’s design combines forest preservation, cultural continuity, and regenerative practices.
Courtesy of the brand
Pirarucu clutch
By NormandoVândalos do Apocalipse collection, 2024
Amazonian jatobá (Brazilian cherry)
This clutch, carved and painted in Jatobá wood, depicts the pirarucu – one of the largest freshwater fish in the Amazon. Celebrated for its delicate white meat, the pirarucu also features an Indigenous mythology. Legend has it that Pirarucu was a strong and arrogant warrior from the Uaiá Indigenous people. Tired of his arrogance, Tupã, the most powerful of
the gods, sent him a storm. Even so, Pirarucu refused to apologise and was transformed into a giant fish.
Established in 2020 by partners Emidio Contente and Marco Normando, the brand draws on Amazonian heritage to source and create contemporary pieces from sustainable materials
such as wild latex and malva fibre. The brand’s design combines forest preservation, cultural continuity, and regenerative practices.
Courtesy of the brand
