Trend-Plate: Viva Brasilia ... A Cosmopolitan Utopia!

If you were in the 1960s and first set your feet on Brasilia, anyone — to most sci-fi junkies — would totally agreed that the city is exactly as what the science fiction writers have prophesied. 

When other cities of the world, especially those that were affected by the aftermath of World War II were filled with boxy structures and remnants of the Art Deco buildings, Brasilia absolutely begged to differ. 

Thanks to Brazilian architectural genius by the name of Oscar Niemeyer plus great urban planning, the city has successfully set itself apart from other federal districts or capitals of the world with a slew of architectural features that were certainly ahead of its time. And if you were an architect or a die-hard fan of architecture, then Brasilia is the place for you to be. 

While federal districts can be very boring (think Putrajaya), there are plenty of tourist attractions waiting to be visited such as the Palacio de Alvorada, Congresso Nacional, Museu Nacional and the Parque Nacional de Brasilia, just to list a few. 

However, fashionistas should make some time and drop by Maison Ana Paula at the posh Lago Sul area. The multi-brand store attracts both local and international shoppers alike with eclectic mix of domestic and international labels such as Vix, Cris Barros, Mary Kantranzou and Prabal Gurung. 

Thus, planning a trip to Brasilia soon? Here are some of the hottest must-have "essentials", all inspired by the city’s graphic beauty, Brazil’s arresting greenery and the uniqueness of its culture that you may need to blend in. 

(L-R:) Antigona shopping bag in printed coated canvas, $953.65 by Givenchy; Suede and metallic leather sandals, $836.76 by Marni; Coco one-shoulder animal-print silk-jersey maxi dress, $992.57 by Diane von Furstenberg^

 (L-R:) Striped stretch-jersey shorts, $744.08 by Stella McCartney; Candy printed acrylic and leather clutch, $759.19 by Jimmy Choo; Brasilia cat eye acetate sunglasses, $389.20 by Prism  

(L-R:) Cropped knitted top, $829.89 by Emilio Pucci; Color-block leather wedge sandals, $744.78 by Rupert Sanderson; Leather, resin and gold-plated cuff, $439.32 by Marni 

(L-R:) Color-block stretch cotton-blend dress, $1,843.74 by Roksanda Ilincic; Anna appliquéd leather shoulder bag, $1,444.93 by Paula Cardematori; Fringed jersey jumpsuit, $308.21 by Mara Hoffman 

All items featured here are available now at Net-A-Porter.com. ^The DVF Coco one-shoulder dress is exclusive to Net-A-Porter.com. 

*Product images courtesy of Net-A-Porter.com; Brasilia cityscape images courtesy of various online sources. 

Maison Ana Paula - Shis Qi , 05, Lago Sul, Brasília, DF.