Feature: VAIN Unveil Spring/Summer 2025 Collection at NYFW Debut
VAIN is an interdisciplinary fashion label, founded by artist and creative director Jimi Vain, and CEO Roope Reinola, which has formed a cult-like community through various viral projects in its short span of existence.
VAIN’s Spring/Summer 2025 Collection challenges the conventional perception of love, from pink heart balloons and chocolate, presenting it in all its beauty and harshness providing an alternative aesthetic for love. Love doesn’t look the same for everyone and shouldn’t be earned; it should be ever-present.
"Many people have no idea what love is, despite it being a common term. Often, when we talk about love, we think of the romanticized concept of it. If we focus solely on this definition, we miss the deeper meaning of love. To me, love means the intersection of all that is good, and the heart should be present everywhere and for everyone as a counterforce to the solidified evil in the world.” says the Creative Director Jimi Vain.
Video & Photos Courtesy of VAIN
Instagram: VAIN Official
Website: VAIN
Heart prints and love motifs feature prominently, both as bold statements and subtle details, paired with black, shades of gray, camouflage, and daring typography. Combining soft, romantic materials with edgy, streetwise fabrics like leather and denim integrates gentle and tough elements, such as pairing a ruffled top with leather or incorporating heart-cut patterns into oversized bomber jackets.
With this season, VAIN continues to expand its “VAIN Upcycled” product line. “VAIN Upcycled” incorporates a wide range of deadstock materials from luxury maisons, and is crafted 100% from post-consumer textile waste. VAIN has established a partnership with Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy (LSJH), where LSJH functions as a material bank for VAIN’s upcycling production line. VAIN is researching and developing new ways to repurpose and utilize textile waste to create impactful designs minimizing the need for virgin material garments. All products are made in Helsinki with a network of freelance tailors. The product line includes a range of denim styles, and it will be expanded throughout the following seasons.
GR8T Magazine caught up with VAIN for their insight and inspiration for their SS25 collection debuted at NYFW.
It’s your first NYFW - Congratulations! How do you feel entering the US market at the most exciting and important time of the year in fashion?
The US has been weirdly very present in our journey for a long time, so it feels surprisingly natural to be here. Also, the timing is perfect for us, and the atmosphere here seems to be very welcoming for us as well. The
VAIN has quickly garnered a cult-like following through various viral projects. How have these projects shaped the brand's identity and community?
Naturally every projects builds the community and brand bigger and stronger. The community we have managed to gain has a feeling of casualness and friendship that we are very proud of. It feels like after every project we meet more and more interesting people also doing what they love, and some of these have formed into fruitful friendships.
Your collaboration with McDonald's, where you upcycled old uniforms into a fashion collection, was highly creative. What inspired this unique partnership, and how did it come together?
In Finland, the McDonald´s parking lot was a place to be as a teenager. Also, McDonalds has a very special place in Jimi´s heart. We love to play with logos and what better logo to form into our heart motif than the golden arches.
As an interdisciplinary fashion label, VAIN often blends different art forms with fashion. Can you share how your background in art influences your design process?
We view art, culture, and fashion as deeply intertwined. We bring these elements together by drawing inspiration from a variety of sources and letting them shape our designs organically. Storytelling is one key to our creative process, helping us to infuse our collections with deeper meanings and emotions, which in turn creates a more engaging experience for our audience.
The Spring/Summer 2025 Collection debut at NYFW. What themes or stories are you exploring with this new collection?
The main theme is of course love, it´s different forms and perceptions. Our own lives involve numerous friendships that we would consider love. But love is sadly often seen only in its romantic form. For us love is about caring, comradery, and warmth- which can be very unnatural for Finns. VAIN challenges the conventional perception of love, from pink heart balloons and chocolate, presenting it in all its beauty and harshness providing an alternative aesthetic for love. Love doesn't look the same for everyone and shouldn't be earned; it should be ever-present. With SS25 we’re focusing on our own brand and its core. Standing strongly behind our own mission of bringing heart into people’s lives. Every product we make has a heart in it. We believe that every heart we put out on the world brings something good with it.
How do you balance innovation with maintaining the brand's distinct identity?
By staying true to our core values while being open to new ideas. We want to make sure that whatever we do still reflects what VAIN stands for. It’s about evolving in a way that feels natural, without losing sight of the elements that make us unique in the first place.
Finnish fashion has a unique place in the global industry. How do you see VAIN contributing to the international perception of Finnish design?
VAIN aims to showcase the uniqueness of Finnish fashion by blending minimalist and experimental elements that are deeply rooted in Finnish design language and culture. Goal is to broaden the perception of what Finnish design can be and demonstrate that it can compete in the fashion market.
The community around VAIN seems integral to the brand. How do you engage with your audience and what role do they play in the brand's evolution?
The community is a big part of what VAIN is all about. We try to engage with our audience in an organic way, whether it's through social media, events, or collaborations. Sometimes it is hard to get support from Finnish people but the ones who understand it, understand it.
How do you envision VAIN’s future on the global stage?
I hope to see VAIN continuing to grow on the global stage by pushing creative boundaries and staying true. We aim to build a brand that resonates with a diverse, international audience, while staying grounded in our Finnish roots.
What role does sustainability play in your design process, especially given your innovative use of upcycled materials?
Sustainability is important to us, and we try to keep it at the core of what we do. Using upcycled materials is one way we’re able to reduce waste while still creating interesting designs. We like to be resourceful and find creative ways to reuse what’s already out there, without sacrificing the quality or style of our pieces. We also like to use deadstock materials from luxury maisons and we work with supplier that resells LVMH’s leftovers. It’s sustainable but also as a small company that way we can get our hands on great materials and keeping the cost down.
How does collaborating with different artists and companies influence your creative vision, and what have been some of your most memorable collaborations?
We aim to collaborate only with individuals and companies that resonate with us personally, where there's a connection or a story that holds meaning for us. By doing this, we ensure that any partnership doesn’t steer the brand in the wrong direction. Some of our favorite collaborations have been with artists, like with Yung Beef, Lil Uzi Vert, or Playboi Carti. GR8T
