After a few frosty weeks, the rain is back in Glasgow. The sun came out this morning for a few very brief moments and now it's dull again. I generally dislike cold and wet weather and one of the reasons of my dislike is the fact that adverse climatic conditions don't often allow you to be extremely stylish. Yet there's a historical brand out there that has turned rain into a very stylish reason, Ramosport.
The company was founded in 1905 in Russia by a young woman who had a great idea: importing waterproof fabric from England to produce rainwear for the Tsar's army. When the company moved to France, it focused on creating luxury rainwear and elegant trenches and coats. 
Practicality was always high on Ramosport’s agenda, but, as the years passed, the company researched new ways of offering functional coats in chic and sophisticated fabrics, characterised by impeccable cuts and a great attention for details.
For years Ramosport was amongst the most popular outerwear companies: during the 1990 it developed new designs under Anne-Marie Beretta, while it also sparked a few collaborations with guest designers such as Hussein Chalayan, Marcel Marongiu and Jean Colonna. Yet in most recent years the company had a few ups and downs and, after finally changing hands in 2006, the brand was finally re-launched with French designer Julien Fournié appointed as artistic director.
Fournié proved with his Spring/Summer 09 collection that he is the right man to inject new life into this brand: apart from guaranteeing protection from the rain, his outerwear designs echo the '60s and are characterised by a stylish choice of vibrant colours. The collection also features for the first time geometric print and floral motif dresses.
Finishing touches and details are remarkable, fabrics have been carefully selected (the company’s constant research into fabrics has allowed it to produce water-resistant silk, coated lace, “paper cotton” and “technical memory gabardine”) and silhouettes are flattering (Ramosport winter outerwear and parkas successfully avoid the undesired Bibendum-like effect…) but what’s striking is that these designs are simply timeless and wearable at any age.
Though the most daring fashionistas should go for coats in more vibrant colours, the classic trench in dark colours represents a great investment in times of economic downturns, as it's the sort of item you can wear in Autumn, when it’s rainy and miserable, or in Spring, when temperatures are higher but it's not so warm yet.
The inspiration for Ramosport's Spring/Summer 09 womenswear collection came from Blake Edwards' hilarious comedy The Party with Peter Sellers, while iconic actor Alain Delon was the main inspiration behind the menswear line. The latter features perfect jackets and trenches that can be worn with a formal suit or with a T-shirt and denims, ideal for businessmen, world travellers or city-dwellers in search of something modern and classy to wear everyday.
It's good to know that looking beautiful and elegant in the rain is still possible and I hope that, in future, Fournié will develop further lines for Ramosport and the brand will also start new and exciting collaborations with other contemporary designers.
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