IN CONVERSATION WITH JEFF ABRAMS
interview by SONNY NGO
Well known for its effortless blend of Californian aesthetics and European sophistication, founder and creative director Jeff Abrams has been leading modern Los Angeles style for years with his brand RAILS. This year marks its 15th anniversary and I got to sit down with him at the RAILS store in Amsterdam.
Thank you so much for joining me today. How have you been enjoying Amsterdam so far?
I love Amsterdam, I just arrived from Los Angeles, so I haven’t had a lot of time to explore yet, but I come here a number of times a year for our retail store and it's amazing every time.
You founded RAILS 15 years ago – congratulations on the anniversary – could you share why you wanted to start your own brand?
It was a great way for me to combine creativity and business. When I first started I didn’t have a technical background in fashion, but I always grew up doing things in the arts like photography and painting. Fashion was a great way to indulge in that creative business. I didn’t really know how to start, so the first few years were a lot of trial and error. But the turning point was with this shirt that had super soft fabric, which later became the identity of our brand.
That shirt was, and still is, everywhere. How did the process leading up to the final product go?
Very much trial and error. I had a cashmere scarf, and I thought to myself “this fabric would be amazing for a shirt.” I had to go to different fabric suppliers and ask them for help, but none of them wanted to make them – except for one person. Together, we created a ton of sample rolls to get that right balance between soft and durable. The way the yarn is weaved together, makes it soft, but also risks being more easily damaged. Eventually, however, we were able to find a solution and got the product that a lot of people loved, celebrities included.
I think Beyoncé wore it in one of her music videos as well.
A lot of celebrities showed up wearing that shirt, and I wasn’t giving it to them. They got it because they loved the product. I think that really helped with our authenticity.
Is there any celebrity or person that you would like to dress up for a change?
I try to focus less on individual celebrities and more so on the everyday people, because they’re the ones who come back season after season. Of course, we love it when celebrities or tastemakers are wearing our product, but I think making something that our customers really love is more important. And, at the end of the day, celebrities can be customers too if they love it.
In those 15 years, I imagine many challenges have come along your journey. How did you manage to overcome them?
When I first started, I used to get upset when things wouldn’t go my way. But what I realised is that maintaining your calm is really one of the best skill sets to have, both for personal life but also to run a business. So many things are going to go a different way than what you planned for and you can’t take it personally – you have to go into problem solving mode, figure out how to stay positive, and continue forward.
Because it is the 15th anniversary, could you share some of your favourite moments in those years?
All the challenges I’ve had over those years are some of my most memorable times of the business. For my first order of plaid shirts of 2000 units, I was working by myself in Los Angeles. It took me nearly 3 months to complete the order and once it was ready to be picked for distribution, the transport truck was robbed. All of the copies were gone and never to be found again. I easily could have quit there, but I kept on going. I think those moments stuck the most with me and also made me stronger, both mentally and business-wise.
Your latest collection maintains the core Californian sophistication you are known for. How do you continue to find inspiration to innovate while staying close to the ethos of the brand?
For each collection, we focus on classic shapes and silhouettes that our customer can wear season after season. But as the brand is expanding, we slowly bring in more details and variations of fabrics that we hope the customers really love and that make them feel elegant.
full look RAILS
You have a lot of stores in the US and opened some in Europe, and are also thinking of opening up some new ones. Is there any brand message you would like to communicate across these continents?
Before I started, I had been living in Europe and travelling across the Eurorail – which is how I got the name RAILS. Even though I started very small in Los Angeles, I have always imagined RAILS as a global brand. I think what I realised is that our brand connects with customers no matter where you are, and I want customers to feel and recognise the brand no matter where they are.
What do you see for the future of fashion and how do you imagine RAILS playing a part in it?
Fashion brands used to sell to wholesale accounts, so that we could focus on making products. Today, we have to be both a product company and a content creation company. In order to succeed as a fashion company, you have to be a media company. The business of fashion is as much as about having amazing products as it is about what you are doing to excite customers.
Additionally, at RAILS we try to understand our ecological footprint more. Our staff cares about what we’re doing while making our products. So, we do a lot related to philanthropy and we try to help our community with education and providing clean drinking water to those who don’t have access, particularly in Los Angeles. As we are running a business, we’re also trying to do good at the same time. I think it’s important for fashion brands to participate in those things.
Finally, where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In this chair, doing our next interview for the 30th anniversary. And, of course, I want to continue to grow the brand, while maintaining our family style and culture at RAILS. Employees, who have been with me since the beginning, are still here and doing this together is really part of the story.
photography RAILS
