Rains Amsterdam is slick and cocooning – the brand’s ‘store of the future’

Rains Amsterdam, the new flagship store of the Danish lifestyle brand, has just thrown open its doors in the Dutch city's trendy Canal district. The new space, created with Swedish multidisciplinary architecture studio Stamuli, is not only the company's first foray into the city, but also the debut of a new global concept for Rains – an interior that reimagines its retail expression and brings together the urban outerwear and accessories business' minimalist and utilitarian approach with a sense of contemporary playfulness.

Rains Amsterdam opens, with a joyful and unexpected interior

Just as with the company's main home, the Rains headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark, the retail concept is elegant, yet dynamic and full of potential. The space, which spans 123 sq m and two levels, including a generous, double-height shopfront main floor, was conceived as a place of experiences – taking the brand's architectural commercial expression to the next level.

In 'very simplistic terms, it is bigger and better', says Daniel Brix Hesselager, founder and CEO of Rains, who worked with Stamuli on stores in the past, but aligned with the practice this time to carve an entirely new take on space.

Emanuele Stamuli, CEO of Stamuli, explains that the new interior is composed of concrete, steel, glass, and textiles – all materials that are, in a sense, commonplace, as well as durable, clear and functional. They reflect the Rains products' ethos and the wider Scandinavian attitude carried within the brand. At the same time, through a fresh play between colour and pattern, the interior here becomes joyful and unexpected.

The Rains Amsterdam flagship is composed of continuous grids, bespoke furniture and an organic, yet industrial surface palette. Technology, such as LED installations on the ceiling depicting the feeling of an ever-changing sky, adds further dynamism to the whole, which is otherwise defined by a raw, almost brutalist feel, pleasantly disrupted by bold shapes and pops of colour.

'What really attracted us to Stamuli was that they have a more organic and more playful approach to retail design than we have had before,' says Brix Hesselager. 'We are rooted very much in strict, minimalistic Scandinavian aesthetics, which can, for some, appear “cold”.’ In this context, refreshing the Rains retail experience was much about balancing things – adding vibrancy to the space, without losing the brand's spirit.

At the same time, it is important to remember that these are 'boutiques', not just 'stores', stresses Stamuli. To achieve the distinction, the studio crafted three parts to the store to reflect the customer's retail journey. First comes the presentation of the collection (which is 'more about identity than lots of product', Stamuli explains). Then comes a deep dive into the collection, through browsing and engaging with it. Finally, the conclusion of the 'shopping ceremony' is the most intimate of all – trying the garments on. This procession helped create distinct areas in the interior.

'We wanted to create a natural flow and an environment that feels almost like an ancestral cave,' Stamuli adds. 'Something cocooning. We wanted straight lines and clean surfaces, but also more of a rough, organic environment, something that brings softness. This is the role of the furnishings and the circular openings. And then some visual elements, like the ceiling-mounted LED screens, can change the overall feel. It is important to us that we can renew and that the customer gets a new experience every time they enter.'

Rains Amsterdam will soon be followed by brand boutiques in Stockholm and Hamburg.

rains.com