VAIN, the prestigious Finnish ready-to-wear brand, was honored to announce its debut collection ASTIGMATISM SS22 on the 4th of January 2022.

In the worldwide success of its latest independent drops, the creative director Jimi Vain has decided to publicize the secret project built for years to the eyes of the public.

Jimi VAIN became one of the hottest names in the streetwear scene through his iconic customizations on Nike sneakers, adding his imprint of VAIN heart on Nike Swoosh. Rappers like Playboi Carti and MadeinTYO recognized his work and wanted their Jordans to be touched by Jimi - Union 1s for Carti (“The Loved 1s”) and Air Force 1s (Vain Force 1s) for MadeinTYO.

This was a segway for Jimi to establish new connections, grow his follower base, and entering new territory in the collaborative work field, following standalone projects with brands like EA Sports, Universal Music, Sony Music & Warner Music.

Even though customizing sneakers is a springboard for many new, up-and-coming designers, Jimi realized this before it used to be the industry standard and made his way independently by utilizing his own, creative process to embody his visions on clothing in general.

Browse through the ASTIGMATISM lookbook from the slideshow below.

Synopsis:

ASTIGMATISM

astigmatism

/əˈstɪɡmətɪz(ə)m/

 noun

a defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a deviation from spherical curvature, which results in distorted images, as light rays are prevented from meeting at a common focus.

Perception is individual. This is the core thought behind ASTIGMATISM. If everything we make is perceived through the lens of others it leaves us with a dilemma: How can we make others see what we see? With this in mind, VAIN’s first collection aims to celebrate this dilemma instead of trying to overcome it. Simple colors are put in contrast with strong details and silhouettes. We accepted it, you won't see what we see. But that wasn’t the goal for this one. This one is about everyone finding something for themselves that they see beauty in.

Although the year has started with bang for VAIN, the creative dircetor himself, Jimi, blessed us with an interview regarding the collection and the VAIN brand.

What was the main inspiration behind the ASTIGMATISM?

As a person who has astigmatism and other vision problems, I felt like it was an interesting angle to start working on a whole. At least different from what we are used to. Astigmatism represents a different perspective to us.

What would you like to achieve with this recent collection?

The first collection you all have seen by now is just a small peek into my world. I want to show everyone that I’m serious, and even though this is the first step that I’ve taken, it will not be the last one.

Besides you, is there anyone else involved in the design process?

This collection was designed a long time ago. Of course, we brainstorm with my friends and co-workers. They inspire me a lot.

To whom are VAIN pieces designed and meant for?

For everyone! I wanted to make this as unisex as possible! The range of leather pants is made so that the pants fit all genders.

What has been the biggest challenge?

I know what I want, and I want to do it as best as I can. If I hadn’t done this project, at least at this level, I wouldn’t have done it at all. Every garment down to the t-shirts is what I wanted them to be, quality practical clothing that looks like me. We have learned a lot, and we are still learning, but it does not bother me! A small team with good people in it does a lot more than trying to survive alone. It took us 18 months to finally release the collection mainly due to the problems caused by covid, working with our factories, and building the basic foundation of the brand.

What is the key concept of VAIN brand and it's direction?

VAIN is my reality. What I see and want to convey to other people. Primarily VAIN is a modern fashion brand, but also my creative platform that allows me to do design and different projects with people.

What is the best advice you've ever got and who gave it to you?

There have been lots of them, and most of them are so personal that readers wouldn’t get a grip on my answers. It may be a cliché, but I’m still young, and I need to try my luck. Perhaps the most important piece of advice from me is that you should always try and if everything fails, so what? Try again.

The collection will be available through jimivain.com today at 4:30 PM UTC+02 - make sure to be there on time to secure your goods from the collection.

Lookbook photos: Roope Reinola, Miska Öhman, Sala Mboup, Lumi Martikainen
Lookbook models: Kalle Tuomainen, Ella Lund, Sasu Koivisto, Verner Vuorela

Curated by:
Oula Valkeinen