Veryrare is on a mission to revolutionize fashion with its “bold, fresh and reimagined” designs.
Founded by Raf Reyes, the Paris-based brand emerged in 2020 during the pandemic while Reyes was a postgraduate student at the Royal College of Art in London. According to the designer, the brand was born from a desire to merge art and fashion, creating pieces that “democratize art” by making it wearable and accessible.
“The concept behind the brand is to reference design’s history and signal its presence within the colliding worlds of archive and 21st-century fashion,” Reyes told SJ Denim. “Selected visuals feature various universes, ranging from collector ’90s aesthetics to contemporary subculture imagery. These elements are either amplified or stripped down to create a fresh and reimagined clothing style—where opposing ideas speak to one another—resulting in very rare pieces.”
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Five years in and the brand has built a strong international presence, reaching customers in over 86 countries, with the U.S. as its primary market. This growth has been fueled by its online platform and partnerships with prominent retailers such as Selfridges in London, H Lorenzo, Wolf & Badger, Simons in Canada and HBX in Hong Kong.
This rapid growth has helped the brand gain recognition from some of pop culture’s hottest names, including J. Cole, Jake Paul, Jaylen Brown, Lil Tjay, Rich The Kid and Famous Dex, to name a few.
“With my brand, I’m continuously working to redefine fashion by merging art and clothing, creating timeless pieces that challenge traditional fashion norms, [which is what] Veryrare consumers love,” Reyes said.
A key aspect of Veryrare’s buiness is its distinctive denim designs, which often feature “ultra-limited” lifestyle pieces that combine “intertwined narratives and visuals,” Reyes noted. Take, for example, the Sakura jean—made of 100 percent cotton—which features vibrant cherry blossom embroidery running up each side of the leg. Reyes said the $129 jean takes over 15 hours to hand-embroider, a process that incorporates various techniques, including chain stitch and piqué.
Veryrare sources fabrics globally, collaborating with textile associates in France, Portugal, Turkey, China and Japan. “We are committed to finding the best fabrics in terms of quality, durability and originality, ensuring each piece meets our high standards,” Reyes said. “We even know each of our denim artisans by name, visiting their weaving mills and dyeing factories regularly to ensure the craftsmanship and materials align with our [ethos] of transparency and authenticity.”
Here, Reyes shares what drives the world of Veryrare, one unapologetic answer at a time.
What’s one word to describe Veryrare?
Raf Reyes: Unapologetic.
Who (or what) inspires your designs the most?
RR: The global community, humanity, existence and the creative tribe—our mentors, the scenius, the collective genius of everything we’ve made and conceptualized since emerging from our Neanderthal caves.
If Veryrare was a music genre, what would it be?
RR: Probably a fusion of synthwave, ambient, phonk, punk, indie, house, hip-hop/rap, jungle, DnB, UK garage, drill, trap and jazz.
Coffee or tea while designing?
RR: Coffee.
What’s a guilty pleasure you have when it comes to fashion?
RR: Indulging in maximalist designs and collaborating with friends (shoutout to Kiji Opera, my homie with the matcha tea saloon—we’ll be doing a matcha set/box together soon).
What’s the best compliment you’ve received about your brand?
RR: Being told that our pieces are timeless and inspirational.
What’s your favorite city to visit for fashion inspiration?
RR: Tokyo.
What’s the most important thing you want customers to feel when they wear your designs?
RR: All the pieces I release are designed to be worn like armor or second skins for the absurd reality we navigate daily. So flex them, rock them proudly. They say things you don’t need to express aloud; they speak for you.
