Celebrities and record numbers of tourists donning green, yellow and blue are flooding into the country. Brazilian culture — from its Oscar-nominated films to funk music — is taking the world by storm. Global fashion brands and influencers are leaning into the hype.
For decades, Brazilians have lamented that the country and its cultural makeup and output have long gone under-appreciated in what has become known as the “mongrel complex.” But as attention from abroad pours in and consolidates itself in 2026, some say a shift may be underway with the rise of “caramelo pride” — a ubiquitous celebration by Brazilians of caramel-colored street mutts that have come to represent the country. Brazil has captured the world’s attention and admiration before, and Brazilians cyclically observe that “Brasil está na moda,” or Brazil is in fashion. Many trace the current popularity of the phase to 2023, when Brazilcore, a fashion trend featuring the colors of the Brazilian flag and inspired by Brazilian culture, gained widespread global traction.
Celebrities including Bad Bunny, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Tina Kunakey, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Consani and Addison Rae have all participated in the trend. Fashion was “very rigid, with many uniformized clothes. Suddenly came this wave from Brazil showing more skin, using more color,” said Néli Pereira, a PhD candidate at the University of Sao Paulo in cultural studies who specializes in Brazil.
The spontaneity and vivid color palettes resonated amid a craving for more light-heartedness. Recently, the popularity of Brazilcore has morphed into a massive, multi-faceted global phenomenon that celebrates “brasilidade,” or Brazilianness, moving beyond fashion to include music, dance, cinema and sport. Trend seen in fashion, increased tourism and star power Brazilcore can be spotted on high streets around the world and takes the forms of bikinis, micro-shorts, crochet pieces, soccer shirts and accessories.
Brands including fast fashion giants, such as Zara and H&M, have put out tops in green and yellow or emblazoned with Rio de Janeiro, while Chanel, Jil Sander and Schiaparelli have all made references to Brazil’s national colors. The hype around Brazil has also translated into record numbers of tourists visiting the country. More than 9 million tourists came to Brazil last year, a 37% increase compared with 2024.
Jokes on the internet abound about the CPF — an individual’s fiscal identity in Brazil — being the new sought-after green card. In Rio, visitors head to Rocinha favela, kitted out in Brazilcore, and pay for footage of themselves striding out onto a terrace, plonking themselves down as a drone captures the scene before panning out to capture Rio’s stunning urban landscape. These videos have gone viral in recent months.
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