Christopher Raeburn, a man born August 13, 1982, in Kent, is a designer from England. Ten years ago, Raeburn launched a men’s clothing company that is attentive to sustainable missions. He uses materials made from recycled military materials. Now the third ‘R – Recycled, Remade and Reused has become a mantra in all of his design and that is also the differentiator compared to other designers in general.
Raeburn is the youngest of three brothers grew up in a small town in southern England, Kent. He was born in an open atmosphere and creative culture. “We were encouraged to draw something in a week and our father challenged to make it on weekends. Since I was 11 years old, I was in the air cadet and learned to fly.”
Christopher Raeburn and His Career
Ræburn graduated in 2006 from the Royal College of Art, London. He was previously a pattern cutter before setting up his own studio in 2008 and later founded his own label. He participated in the ‘Camouflage’ exhibition at the Imperial War Museum London and his work was featured in the publication Hywel Davies ‘100 New Designers’. The first collection in 2008 to be exhibited during London Design Week is a series of reversible capsule clothing “Inverted”.
In 2009, Ræburn showed his men’s clothing in Paris and received an award from the International Ethical Fashion Forum and received support from Esthetica, which enabled him to perform at the London Fashion Week in September of the same year. In 2010, he became the first designer to get a sponsor from the NEWGEN Topshop for men’s and women’s clothing in the same season.
Ræburn has long been known for his ethical and sustained integrity in his work, although he acknowledges that it has never been his goal. In the 2010 American edition of Vogue magazine in August highlighted Ræburn’s contribution to all things sustainable with suggestions to always “Remember four Rs – Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and Ræburn”. On this occasion, it was accompanied by a photo shoot by Mario Testino where Blake Lively wore his Fur Coat design.
Christopher Raeburn x Victorinox
In 2010, Ræburn and Victorinox collaborated in a collection of male and female clothing capsules. Victorinox even founded the studio “Remade in Switzerland” in Ibach, the birthplace of the founder of Victorinox, Karl Elsener. Ræburn not only used the fabric for his collection there, but he also managed to find the original house where Elsener started the Victorinox brand, and there Ræburn chose to build his Swiss LAB to produce 100 pieces for each style. This collaboration was launched on schedule during the New York Fashion Week in February 2011.
This iconic Ræburn jacket was remade from this parachute and this ultimately won him the award in September 2011. He was nominated and won the British fashion award, 2011 “Fashion Designer” for men’s clothing, by the British Fashion Council. In the same year he was also nominated for the ‘Observer Ethical Awards: Fashion Category’ and ‘Condé Nast Traveler: design and innovation’ awards, and also collaborated on ‘remade in Switzerland’ with Victorinox displayed on schedule at the NYFW. The work always concerned with sustainable fashion, it is no wonder Christopher Raeburn has been dubbed the king of recycling.
