This article was originally featured in the 2024 Clove & Twine Lookbook.
As a true visionary in high-quality rainwear, RAINS raises the bar for what we should expect from a clothing & outerwear brand.
We were honored to receive an invitation to visit RAINS at their Manhattan office this year, providing us with the opportunity to meet with their esteemed team and engage in dialogue with Jan Stig Andersen, the CEO of RAINS. His profound insights into the future trajectory of fashion, corporate gifting, sustainability, and RAINS' pivotal role in these domains left a lasting impression. We hope you find this discussion as inspiring as we did.
C&T:
If you had to predict one major trend in fashion for the next decade, what would it be and why?
JAN / RAINS:
What I think is the most important thing that we do is more and more innovation to make our products last longer. One thing we do, if you look at our collection, is make it monochromatic. It’s all very clean, almost naive designs. This is intentional. We know that if you use standard colors, you can always match them with other items in your wardrobe.
What we aim for is longevity. Right now, people only wear items for about three to four years on average. If we can get that up to five or six years, then everything we do towards sustainability will become even more achievable.
In the end, it’s our number one priority to extend the longevity of our products - through innovations that make them last and colors that stay in style.
C&T:
That's so funny - we hadn’t thought to connect monochrome colors with sustainability before.
JAN / RAINS:
If you have too many different colors, the customer gets tired of them. Then what happens? They get rid of them. Choosing classic colors, combined with cool designs - people keep the items for longer. Even the green color that we choose is very intentionally selected - it’s a specific green that stays in style.
Also, if you look at everything in our line, jackets, bags, it is all made with polyurethane (PU), aside from the new fleece jackets. We simply apply different treatments to PU rather than differing our materials. If you went to our fabric supplier and asked them how many ways we do jackets, they’d say we do it one way. We just treat the material differently.
We love the simplicity of using one type of material. You can make really cool things by keeping the materials simple and playing with just the colors and surfaces.
C&T:
RAINS recently made a notable appearance at Paris Fashion Week. Can you share the inspiration behind this collection and the impact that participating in such a prestigious event has on the brand's direction and visibility?
JAN / RAINS:
I remember a lot of people at the fashion shows asking, “What is a rainwear company doing here?” Well, it’s about how we perceive ourselves as a brand. The cool thing about RAINS is that you have the functionality—that our clothing protects you against the rain and keeps you dry. But you also have the fashion, the style. The combination of these is what makes us strong.
If you’re only making functional products and you’re not looking at what is cool or stylish, then you’re limiting yourself to one customer segment. If you’re only focused on the fashion of what you make, then you’re focusing on another specific segment. It limits you. Participating in Paris Fashion Week was a milestone for RAINS, showcasing our unique style and opening new doors globally.
C&T:
RAINS has been gaining popularity in the corporate gifting space. What do you believe makes your products particularly appealing for corporate gifting?
JAN / RAINS:
Corporate gifting is very different from the fashion world, but they are both tied to awareness. Younger people who are into fashion are more aware of RAINS inherently. But gifting is helping broaden our reach.
Companies tend to choose the same basic gifts repeatedly, and it’s become a little boring. They just need something new, you know? I think we bring a cooler way to do gifting to the table. If companies dare to do something a little differently with RAINS, then we are excited about that.
Another way we can stand out in corporate gifting is that we believe in never running out of stock. That means we have products accessible all the time, and we can back up high-volume orders even on short notice.
If you take all of these things and put them together, I think we are a very strong player in the corporate gifting industry.
C&T:
As far as your long-term sustainability goals, what is your unique approach, and how do you hope to innovate in the industry?
JAN / RAINS:
Product longevity is vital, but a company’s choices can also make a big impact. Our processing in production is done using water, eliminating the use of chemicals. It’s a little more expensive, but it’s important to be able to recycle the water and clean it for the sake of the bigger picture.
Stateside, it goes by the name of “greenwashing,” where companies talk a lot about what they’re doing to be sustainable without a lot to back it up. We have a good mentality about sustainability, and we don’t talk much about it. That’s because we truly believe that it’s something that consumers should take as a given. It should be the standard that we do everything we can to make our products in the best way possible.
I think we need to go back to the beginning—earlier in the pipeline, with production. Then, at the other end, in the future, we ensure people are using things for longer. We can take responsibility collectively without sacrificing quality or style. That’s ultimately the key, and that's why we at RAINS make the choices that we do. Looking ahead, RAINS remains committed to innovation and sustainability, envisioning a future where style meets responsibility seamlessly.
About Jan Stig Andersen:
With a focus on innovative Scandinavian design and sustainability, Jan Stig Andersen has elevated RAINS to global acclaim as its CEO. Leveraging years of experience with internationally renowned brands in retail and fashion, he now applies his expertise to drive RAINS' growth and expansion as a leader in the fashion industry. Beyond his executive role, Andersen is dedicated to philanthropy, supporting environmental and social initiatives, and shaping RAINS into a symbol of modernity and responsibility.
