Tracing Our Threads

A five-day journey reconnecting new leaders with a company’s origins through its people, places, and productions.

Tracing Our Threads (Percorrendo Nossos Fios) was a five-day immersive journey through the historical and cultural roots of Riachuelo, one of Brazil’s most iconic clothing brands. With a new leadership team taking the helm, this experience was designed to connect them with the essence of the brand’s authentic identity. Twelve top decision-makers journeyed to the company’s birthplace — the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the heart of Brazil’s northeastern hinterland— to develop a profound understanding of the legacy, scale, and human stories behind the business they were now entrusted to lead.

The experience’s concept was both a literal and symbolic exploration: by following the path of garment production, from raw material to finished product, it invited reflection on the company’s own trajectory, crafted over time through many talented hands and diverse places. The new leadership team was brought out of their comfortable, air-conditioned offices in southern Brazil — where decision-making can often feel abstract, distant from day-to-day realities— and immersed in tangible situations that are fundamental to the brand’s past, present and future. In cotton fields, they spoke directly with farmers about its production; at the brand’s main factory, they experienced the daily routines of its workers; in small embroidery workshops located in remote, arid regions, they gained firsthand insight into their challenges and traditions. The experience’s concept was thoughtfully reflected in the materials created to accompany the journey. Through shared rituals, intentional dinners, and lived encounters, the experience transformed abstract corporate values into something tangible: trust, care, connection, and the understanding that no creation is ever made alone.