Rareform

THE BEGINNING OF RAREFORM

The brothers Alec and Aric launched the brand after a trip to El Salvador. Alec lived there and often saw his friends and neighbours using billboards to protect the roofs of their homes. Alec realized that the billboards were both durable and weatherproof thanks to their vinyl construction.

Passionate about surfing, Alec returned to the United States and began manufacturing a surfboard cover made from recycled board. This event marks the beginning of the brand. The two brothers then contacted several major American advertising companies and a few phone calls later, trucks full of billboards arrived at their parents' homes.

That's how it all started!

THE STAGES OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The first step is one of the most pleasant, the Rareform team analyses hundreds of billboards daily and sorts them in two ways: by colour and thickness. The team is primarily looking for original colours and patterns that make the objects designed unique and authentic. The brand's objective is to produce high quality accessories that are durable over time.

The second stage is the cutting stage. There is no sophisticated technology involved in this step, just a small cutting shop in a warehouse in Agoura Hills, California. The cut pieces are then sorted by colour and size before being checked to ensure that there are no defects on the final product.

Finally, they are sent to another workshop for sewing and transformation into luggage accessories. Most of the scrap is also used to make small accessories such as coin holders or key rings. This generates less waste and maximizes the recycling of the raw material.

The third step is the design of the products. The Rareform team has travelled the world to find the best manufacturers, both in terms of quality, durability and originality of the products. The latter, like the raw material, are robust and durable over time.

Once the products are finished, they are photographed individually to ensure a real visual impact on the end customer. It's a colossal job because the team can go as far as photographing 500 references per day.

THE RAW MATERIAL

The display panels are available in two types of materials: thin and thick. The thick raw material has a matt and smooth finish. On the other hand, the fine material has a glossy finish.

These different characteristics make it possible to create unique and more technical products. For example, portfolios are made from the thick raw material, while the Tote Bag, Blake, is made from the thin raw material.

The average life of a billboard is 4 to 8 weeks before it is uninstalled. During this short period, they are highly exposed to climatic conditions (strong winds, storms, snow...). The particularity of vinyl is that it is highly resistant to bad weather and is lightweight and therefore easily transportable, mountable and dismountable.

Rareform is therefore a sustainable and emerging brand, which is sensitive to the environment and aims to recycle and transform advertising billboards into accessories and luggage.