Reviewed by: Pat Byington
This local sustainable fashion designer finds inspiration in her own backyard
Reading time: 4 minutes
Victoria “Rain” Rainwater is a 23-year-old Pinson native, and her Rain’s Reworks uses 100% second-hand, locally-sourced materials to create what she calls “wearable art.”
And while it can be nice to get the latest looks for less via “fast fashion,” it pays—in the long run—to make purchasing decisions that better benefit our planet.
Enter sustainable fashion.
Read on to discover how you can support Rain’s Reworks and its Hometown Critters collection, which gives 10% of proceeds to Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.
Sustainable fashion: It’s in her “jeans”
We all have at least a few pairs of denim jeans lying around in hopes they’ll one day fit or come back into style, and that’s an opportunity that Rainwater saw for her fashion line.
“In my first year of doing this, I was able to collect 78 pairs of jeans, and I started gathering other materials as well, but it’s mainly denim, and I like to make wearable art pieces that tell a story.”
Victoria “Rain” Rainwater, sustainable fashion designer
Rainwater uses this collected denim and other donated materials to craft her wearable art, weaving in odes to local landmarks and creatures unique to our neck of the woods in and around Birmingham and central Alabama.
Rainwater was born and raised in Pinson, just outside of Birmingham, and graduated from Pinson High School in 2020. From spending time around nearby Turkey Creek—an amazingly unique nature preserve just 30 minutes northeast of Birmingham—she learned of the vermillion darter, a freshwater fish that’s only found in Turkey Creek. The darter has now made its way into her designs, and she donates back to the Preserve via a percentage of each item sold.
“I want to make an impact, and do it in a way that impacts people, too. So for me, it’s my hometown, and it’s something I’m proud of, but I think art, and fashion specifically, is a way that we can change the world.
You can make a statement with fashion. It’s something that you wear, and that’s how people present themselves. And so I think it’s really a cool concept to take that and turn it into something bigger.”
Victoria “Rain” Rainwater, sustainable fashion designer
Rain’s Reworks benefits and beautifies our Birmingham-area backyards
Rainwater began her business by selling via her Instagram account, but has recently opened an online store, rainsreworks.com. She accepts custom orders—think weddings, special gifts or ways to preserve a beloved fabric and more—and all orders ship for free.
As Rainwater’s business grows, she hopes to expand her reach with denim and fabric donation drop-off spots around Birmingham. She also hopes people begin to be more thoughtful with their consumerism.
“I just want people also to make more informed choices about what they’re wearing and how that stuff is made, because a lot of people don’t really know. I’m very passionate about it, and that’s one of the main reasons why I got into sewing.”
Victoria “Rain” Rainwater, sustainable fashion designer
What to know NOW:
You can learn more about Rainwater and shop her Hometown Critters collection to support Turkey Creek by:
- Following her on Instagram
- Finding her on Facebook
- Shopping her collection, see what’s next and even find patterns and tutorials on her website, rainsreworks.com.
How do you support your local community and shop small? Tag us @bhamnow on social media to let us know what you think!
