Abaeté is a luxury apparel line created by the New York-based designer Laura Poretzky. The collection’s namesake is Poretzky’s family name, and translates roughly to “person of virtue.”
The label’s logo is the Portugese family crest, which was bestowed to her great-great grandfather in the mid-1800s for the time her served as the President of the Brazilian Senate and his outstanding work as a leading abolitionist.
Poretzky was born in France to a Russian father and a Danish-Brazilian mother, and spent her childhood between Paris, Rio de Janeiro and New York. She attended the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she initially majored in photography, but soon switched directions and set her sights on fashion design.
Upon graduation, Poretzky was hired to fill a highly sought-after position at Ralph Lauren. Drawing from her upbringing on the beaches of Brazil, Poretzky soon left Ralph Lauren to create her own line of sexy, wearable Brazilian-inspired swim- and resort-wear.
The Abaeté line has since grown to include a complete line of ready-to-wear that reflects her life as a New Yorker as well as her Latina and Eurasian roots. Abaeté is known for Poretzky’s chic, feminine cuts and youthful, modern embellishments.