Walter Rodrigues

Brazilian designer Walter Rodrigues began his career in 1983 as a stylist for Manequim magazine at Editora Abril in São Paulo. In 1992, he launched his eponymous fashion label, which, in 1994, became the first brand to showcase at Phyto Ervas Fashion—an initiative that would give rise to São Paulo Fashion Week, the most important fashion week in Brazil. From 2004 to 2012, he presented his collections at Fashion Rio. Between 2002 and 2006, he participated in Paris Fashion Week, exporting his dresses to several countries. In 2012, he concluded his clothing brand project.
Today, he works as a product design consultant and serves as coordinator of the Research and Design Center and creative director of Inspiramais, a design, innovation, and sustainability event for fashion materials.
As a mentor in Sustainable Design at Instituto Focus Têxtil, he develops projects that foster circular fashion through actions involving material waste and by encouraging students and micro-entrepreneurs to view sustainability as a path to the future of fashion.
He also consults for Sebrae on projects that explore local identity and design products, including the Local Iconography Project, which aims to highlight Brazilian regional culture and craftsmanship. The initiative encourages the integration of these cultural assets into product design, creating narratives and new development possibilities across fashion, crafts, furniture, family farming, and gastronomy, strengthening local entrepreneurship. The project is carried out by Assintecal – the Brazilian Association of Companies for Leather, Footwear and Goods Components – in partnership with Sebrae Nacional.
Currently, Rodrigues is active in the Lower Amazon region, working across four territories—Santarém, Alter do Chão, Mojui dos Campos, and Belterra—on a COP30-related initiative. The Amazon Biome Iconography Project focuses on the bioeconomy and will result in a book, film, and mentorship program for 20 local companies from various sectors, improving their products through the decoding of local iconography and strengthening regional identity. Together with sustainability strategist Júlia Webber, he promotes innovation and scalability in biomaterials.