Jimi Vain, the creative force behind the interdisciplinary label VAIN, has quickly built a loyal community through a series of viral projects that challenge the norms of fashion. With a keen eye for quality materials and cultural references, Vain and his team have embraced the Digital Age’s fast-paced landscape while staying grounded in timeless values. VAIN’s work is driven by a deep connection to human experiences, reminding us that, even in a highly technocratic world, love and connection remain central to our existence.
INTERVIEWS
VAIN gained significant attention with its viral collaboration with McDonald’s, where the brand reimagined old uniforms into high-fashion pieces. The project captured the imagination of millions, highlighting VAIN’s innovative approach to upcycling and sustainability. Now, VAIN is preparing for its highly anticipated debut at New York Fashion Week this season, marking a new chapter for the brand.
In this exclusive interview with Editor Anastasija Pavic for DSCENE Magazine, Jimi Vain shares the organic beginnings of VAIN and explains the brand’s dedication to authenticity, using upcycled materials and drawing inspiration from everyday culture. He also offers a glimpse into the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, where VAIN continues to challenge conventional ideas of love while pushing creative boundaries.
What first inspired you to start VAIN, and how did you develop the vision for the brand?
It happened so naturally. VAIN was my own platform to express my creativity, and I drew inspiration from topics that interested me. I hadn’t even started dreaming about having my own brand when VAIN was already born.
VAIN has created a cult-like community around its brand. What do you think draws people to VAIN, and how do you engage with your community to keep that connection strong?
We love what we do and trust our intuition with doing stuff. Not trying to impress others and being as genuine as possible, getting inspiration from daily life and culture. Genuine content and cultural references, there’s no silver bullets and the only right answer is interesting stuff that people are eager to share with friends. We play with a surprise effect a lot and trying to do things that the community is not always expecting. We’re also having almost monthly events in Helsinki in our Store.
Your work emphasizes high-quality materials and subtle cultural references. Can you share how you source these materials and how you decide which cultural elements to incorporate into your collections?
We’re using a lot of deadstock fabrics that we source from companies that resell the leftovers from other brands, sometimes from LVMH. We are also doing a lot of Upcycled products that we source the raw materials from thrift stores and our material bank LSJH which is the domestic textile waste management facility.
As a brand that thrives in the digital space, how do you balance the fast-paced nature of social media with the careful, detail-oriented approach that VAIN is known for?
Just quality over quantity and trying to focus on doing genuine content that resonates with our community.
“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 hearts 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.”
As an interdisciplinary fashion label, VAIN bridges art, culture, and fashion. How do you approach merging these elements, and what role does storytelling play in your creative 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.
Collaboration seems to be a key part of VAIN’s DNA. Are there any particular brands you dream of collaborating with in the future, and what would that partnership look like?
Of course, there are dozens of brands it would be great to collaborate with. VAIN’s first viral project was shoes, so it would be exciting to do a shoe collaboration with a footwear brand. Also, some electronics would be interesting to do with, like Dyson.
What inspired the direction of your Spring/Summer 2025 Collection?
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 hearts 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.
“VAIN’s first viral project was shoes, so it would be exciting to do a shoe collaboration with a footwear brand. Also, some electronics would be interesting to do with, like Dyson.”
If you could have any celebrity wear VAIN, who would it be and why?
It would be Playboi Carti, and coincidentally, yesterday Carti wore a full VAIN outfit on Billboard Magazine. He was also the first celebrity to wear VAIN back in 2019. We’d love to see artists like Young Thug, Tommy Lee Sparta, and many others wearing VAIN, but if it happens, it happens. Free Thugger.
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Your designs often reflect the zeitgeist of the current era. How do you stay inspired and ensure that VAIN remains relevant while also pushing boundaries?
We love what we do and trust our intuition with doing stuff. Not trying to impress others and being as genuine as possible, getting inspiration from daily life and culture. Subtle cultural references have always been present in our designs. It’s also about focusing on our brands core which is providing an alternative aesthetic for love. Love doesn’t look the same for everyone, doing your own thing always pays off.
What advice would you give to young designers looking to break into the industry with an unconventional vision?
Not trying to impress others and being as genuine as possible. Doing your own thing always pays off.
View the VAIN SS 2025 Collection in the Gallery below:
jimi is so tallented! I love love love this!