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After having presented its collection in Paris, Rains plans on accelerating its global expansion
A new name in the Paris Men’s Fashion Week agenda has grabbed people’s attention: Rains. The Danish rainwear brand presented its first Parisian show at the Palais de Tokyo on January 20. This came as a challenge, but the label founded by Daniel Brix Hesselager and Philip Lotko in 2012 was able to successfully showcase its essence, incorporating a streetwear approach to its functional clothing and demonstrating a mastered Scandinavian aesthetic.
The two founders, who met when studying at the Teko design school, have also made it clear through this show that Rains is no longer limited to just rainwear. The initiative to diversify its product range started several seasons ago and has since allowed the brand to offer, under the leadership of its creative director Tanne Vinter, stylish silhouettes that bridge the gap between technical outdoor clothing and streetwear.
"Rains brings a Scandinavian aesthetic into an urban lifestyle by blending utility and design with a streetwear approach through details and its brand expression," said Hesselager. “We've made great strides in the last few years and have big ambitions for the future. A runway show was not a new experience for us since we have been presenting our collections in this format since the Fall/Winter 2020 season at Copenhagen Fashion Week. But this year we were ready for the truly global stage that is Paris Fashion Week. Our presence in Paris comes in parallel with an evolutionary and important step for our brand, which is shifting our focus from rainwear to transitional outerwear.”
In a span of just a few years, the brand has established itself in the main European markets and is currently sold in around 2,500 multi-brand retailers worldwide as well as in its own 26 stores, which include two in Paris, one in Bordeaux and one in Lille. The French market, entrusted to The Clothette showroom and sales agency, is one of the label’s main markets, along with the UK, Denmark, Germany and the US. Rains, which still generates 58% of its business through its retailers, 20% through e-commerce and 12% through its stores, is expected to make good progress in its 2021 results.
"In 2021, Rains exceeded €80 million in turnover,” explained Daniel Brix Hesselager, “with an annual growth of 50%, mainly due to developments in the European markets."
The brand is still very much focused on the European continent, where it generates nearly three-quarters of its business. Its second main area of activity, which accounts for 10% of its sales, is North America. China, where the brand has two stores in Shanghai, currently represents only 5% of its sales. Seducing these international and export markets is precisely the motive behind the brand’s decision to walk down the Parisian catwalks.
"We feel like we reached a new audience, but also made those already familiar with Rains aware of the direction we've taken in recent years. For those who don't know the details of Rains' journey, the show helped visualize the breadth and depth of the universe we've built."
The Danish label intends to deploy this vision to the United States this year with the announced installation of a new flagship store in New York along with the development of its American headquarters in New Jersey.
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