RainSisters opening a new door: the feminine raincoat brand is entering the dress market

Latvian clothing brand RainSisters, which has gained wide recognition not only in the local but also in the international market in recent years with its unique, feminine and functional raincoats, is taking a confident step in a new direction of development. The company has expanded its product range to include dresses made in Latvia.

A well-considered step in development

Founded in 2018 by three sisters – Zanda Purvišķe, Zane Piekuse and Zaiga Grīne – the company has grown from having sold 45 coats in its first year to several thousand units every year. Today, 99% of turnover comes from exports, mainly to the United States, the UK and EU countries. 

RainSisters has always stood out for its ability to create clothing that is both practical and aesthetically captivating. Now the brand is continuing its development with a new product category, dresses, which is a logical and natural extension of the brand’s feminine message.

“I had the idea for the dresses a long time ago,” Zanda Purvišķe, co-owner and CEO of the company, reveals. “I think a dress is the ultimate feminine garment. Until now, it was not part of our brand offer, but now we have reached a stage in our development where we can expand the brand more freely with different products that embody femininity.”

New challenges and new solutions

According to the sisters, launching a new product has not been easy – developing the dresses has required learning new technical constructions, getting to know the properties of other materials and developing a new production process.

“It has been a challenge, but also an opportunity to learn,” Zaiga Grīne says. “Now we know what needs to be improved, but we can also clearly see the possibilities and potential for the future.”

RainSisters raincoats are designed as a long-term investment, and in the dress segment the sisters are also focusing on sustainable materials. The collections use fabrics such as tencel and cotton, which not only look beautiful but are also environmentally friendly. “We have more freedom to experiment with materials in our dresses and we consciously choose ones that are more environmentally friendly,” Zane Piekuse adds.

From idea to brand

The RainSisters story began in Liepāja, a city where rain and wind are frequent visitors. Weather in Liepāja can be a real challenge, especially when you must spend a lot of time outdoors every day, and even more so with small children. An umbrella is not a convenient solution when rushing through the city streets with prams or shopping bags in hand. You need a functional raincoat – one that protects you from the rain, but also makes you feel feminine and look good.

For the sisters themselves, the range of clothing on offer was disappointing: the market was dominated by masculine, dark rain jackets or practical but aesthetically unimpressive ponchos. Feminine, expressive and high-quality raincoats were simply not available. The sisters realised that if they didn’t exist, it was time to create one of their own: a beautiful yet practical garment that would combine functionality with elegance.

All available state aid tools have been put to use in the development of RainSisters. One of the company’s strategically important decisions was to join the business incubator established by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) soon after the founding of the company, thereby securing not only financial support, but also valuable advice and mentoring. Another important step was participation in the export support programme, which allowed the company to experiment with international advertising, especially on social media platforms. “Thanks to this support, we were able to invest heavily in advertising and test the suitability of this strategy. This has proved to be the key to our success, as we sell most of our products through our on-line store worldwide,” Zane Piekuse, co-founder of the company, explains.

Photo: RainSisters