The city of Angels is known as the stomping ground of some of the most iconic fashion houses of our time. In Summer 2016, a budding bohemian brand known as RahiCali became the newest inductee to this elite group. Founded by 3JAINS, a young fashion powerhouse trio, RahiCali delivers an authentic interpretation of the popular bohemian trend inspired by their Asian heritage. Merely months later, the ultra feminine brand has already gained outstanding momentum and is using it purposefully – not only in fashion, but in serving their local community.
There are currently over 40,000 homeless canines in Southern California, and shelters statewide are grossly overpopulated.
In the dog-loving city of Los Angeles, the local brand has dug its claws into this cause in hopes of sparking the giving spirit of the season to encourage much-needed change in their community. On November 6th RahiCali teamed up with Mowgli Rescues in uniting the city’s biggest fashion mavens to spearhead a puppy power movement. The event, entitled #FurryFriendsgiving, was a dreamy affair filled with good eats, great style, and the world’s cutest puppy pals up for adoption. Already garnering close to 30k impressions on social media, RahiCali is making a statement to every boheme that an adopted pal is this season’s most meaningful accessory.
During an intimate one on one with RahiCali Creative Directors Reneta Jain & Neha Jain, The LA Fashion got a behind-the-scenes look into the story behind their event:
How did the idea for your first annual Furry Friendsgiving event Mowgli Foundation come about?
Neha: “After hearing about the high euthinazation and homeless rates of dogs in our city, it was a no brainer for us to do whatever we could to jumpstart a movement for change. RahiCali represents the free-spirited, earthy fashionista, and we believe that the giving spirit of the season makes it the perfect time for us to tell our brand’s story through social activism.”
Reneta: “From the beginning, we’ve always wanted to make giving back a staple of our brand and this is only where se start. We’re a dog loving family so we wanted to join forces with Mowgli Rescues and other local dog lovers who epitomize our brand mission and what the RahiCali girl is all about.”
You had quite the guest list lined up for this event, with a diverse mix of highly influential fashion it girls What were some of the qualities you were looking for in attendees for this event?
Reneta: “We wanted to have a diverse guest list filled with attendees from different realms of the fashion industry as well as established animal activists who, when united, could really get a widespread conversation started. More than anything, this event is a jumpstart to igniting a much bigger conversation.”
Neha: “Yes – we wanted to surround ourselves with people who have supported RahiCali in the past and fashion influencers whose relationships we’d like to grow in the future. This event is all about friendship – showing appreciation for old friendships and igniting new friendships – especially with new furry pals!”
How do you think that this event will encourage advocacy for this cause among fellow dog lovers in Southern California?
Reneta: “As dog owners, we understand that it isn’t always easy to acknowledge the tragic truths that thousands of dogs endure daily. We wanted to unveil an unfiltered lens into this truth and appeal to the compassion of people everywhere so that we can all play our part in doing something – after all, who can deny the cuteness of those little furry faces?”
It’s so great to see a fashion brand using their platform to promote a local cause. How important is this type digital activism in fashion at large, and does your brand intend on doing more in the future?
Neha: “We can’t emphasize enough how important we think it is for fashion companies to be active in making the world a better place outside of our own industry. We are all global citizens that are working for the greater good, and this event allowed us to that on a bigger scale. We look forward to doing much more in the future.”
The ‘it’ girls who attended your event were so stylishly dressed! Where can people go to steal their looks?
Reneta: “All of our gorgeous attendees were wearing our brand new Holiday 2016 collection which is exclusively available on our website, RahiCali.com, as well as renowned retailers including ShopBop, PlanetBlue and various boutiques around the country.”
Can you tell me a bit more about your brand and the inspiration behind its aesthetic? What would you define as your “signature”?
Neha: “RahiCali is a bohemian brand that encapsulates the dreamy, free-spirited vibe of Los Angeles. Our collections merge style inspiration from around the world with romantic silhouettes and rich colors that make it the perfect go-to brand for the passionate travelista. Detailed embroidery is a signature of our brand throughout every collection.”
What trends can we expect to see more of from your new Holiday collection?
Reneta: “We’ve selected a lot of rich, regal tones for this season’s collection, which is really on point with what’s been all over the runway this year. We’ve also incorporated some silky fabrics that are trendy yet perfectly aligned with the romantic feel of our brand. And of course, you’ll find a lot of intricate embellishment that’s a classic for the holiday season.”
What can we expect to see from RahiCali next?
Neha: “We’ll be hosting a multi-brand holiday pop up shop next month, so look out for more info on that on our Instagram @RahiCali. We’re also launching in Bloomingdale’s at the end of the year so we are very excited about that.”
