Joi umbrellas

Joi umbrellas, like the name suggests, is all about aesthetically improving our experience of rain. Founder Hamish Duncan had an epiphany in October 2005 when a shower started in London and he watched person after person erecting uniform, unremarkable, uninspiring umbrellas. It doesn't have to be that way, thought Hamish.

"The picture I saw that day lacked colour and interest, and at that point I wondered:'why can't you enjoy being in the rain?' With the help of friends who like to draw, the idea was born; to use the umbrella as a canvas." Hamish is a former snowboarder who had to quit after breaking his back in a competition in France. "My girlfiend designs for Pointer," he says referring to the UK trainer brand, "and they work with artists so I already had got to know some people who I wanted to work with."

For Joi's first collection, Hamish has hooked up with two artists, Jethro Haynes who has designed the women's style and Stefan Marx, designer of the men's. "Next I would like to create a unisex one, a sort of Freelancer with a strap which you can hold while cycling," explains Hamish.

The colourways are limited to 500 each and the finishing and details of these umbrellas are superb. First off, the come presented in a specially shaped cardboard casing that's easy to carry and wrap. There's an small embroidered Joi and discreet artwork on the cover with a Joi metal stud (they have stars on the inside!), pull out the brolly and you'll feel the elegantly slim PU leather handle, the metal tip is also thin compared to your average brolly, and much heavier. Unsheath the Joi brolly to reveal a very nice piece of kit with a lush tassel attached, a sturdy black frame holds the fabric where the pattern is screen printed on the inside so the Joi user gets to see some lovely artwork whilst being rained on."I love the idea of getting to look at a piece of artwork while being rained on," says Hamish.

The name is inspired by the shape of the brolly: J is the handle, O is the hood and i is the metal rod which runs through. "I did want to manufacture them in England," admits Hamish, "but it just wasn't possible. The only company still making umbrelllas in England is James Smith & Sons of Bloomsbury, and they get all the component parts from China and then assemble them below the shop." Eventually, Hamish would like to do the same - have a UK 'finishing house' but initially Joi brollies are being manufactured in The People's Republic of China, "in the same factory as Burberry's umbrellas."

Hamish's dad is an architect and he confesses to have been interested in practical design since he was a small boy. "I like looking at the functional, practical elements and trying to enhance them." We Brits, according to Hamish, have a natural affinity with the rain, "we're always talking about the weather aren't we?" The Joi website he hopes will continue in this tradition and his intention is to let Joi develop online organically, "I want people to join in with the features and give feedback and I am going to just see what happens."

Words: Marian Buckley

Available from www.Joiumbrellas.co.uk priced £45, see website for stockists.