Innovator Spotlight: Christopher Raeburn

Christopher Raeburn is not only a pioneer in the eco-conscious arena but remains one of its design leaders. Raeburn is known for his sustainable fashion designs, which often incorporate recycled materials. His brand is built on complete awareness of end-to-end product design through the lens of sustainability and environmental impact, but also as an industry leader who performs with full transparency. He also considers the education of his audience by sharing processes and design techniques via his design innovation studio. For these reasons, he was chosen as the first in our innovator spotlight series.

Christopher Raeburn was born in London, England, in 1984. and graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2007. His collections are present at global fashion events worldwide, and he has also created furniture, home accessories, and children's clothing.

Raeburn set up his studio in 2009 and, later that year, his eponymous label, showing his first collection at London Fashion Week featuring a range of outerwear constructed from original military parachutes, which fast became the iconic signature of the company. He has established his eponymous brand with responsible and intelligent fashion design for a global audience. The RÆMADE ethos, in particular, has pioneered the reworking of surplus fabrics and garments to create distinctive and functional pieces.

Raeburn's re-made ethos guides and influences every aspect of his design and development process. The RÆBURN RÆMADE philosophy originates from his fascination with military materials and utilitarian clothing. Mr. Raeburn's never-ending 'archaeological' discoveries led to his first complete collection (AW10 PREPARE) using de-commissioned military stock to create limited-edition outerwear for both men and women. From wool field jackets to nylon parachute canopies, each RÆMADE style is produced by meticulously deconstructing the original and reworking the materials into unique and ethical garments. His product is defined by a distinctive aesthetic, meticulous detail, considered functionality, and sustainable intelligence, bringing sustainable design to a mainstream fashion audience and presenting luxury with integrity.

Throughout the last decade, Christopher Raeburn collaborated with Moncler, Barbour, Victorinox, Rapha Cycles, Clarks Footwear, Victoria & Albert Museum, and recently Vans. Alongside this, a highly collaborative spirit informs luxurious, handcrafted, and award-winning products with integrity and purpose. This innovative approach, with an unusual balance of high concept, accessibility, and wearability, is applied to menswear, womenswear, luggage, and accessories.

Christopher won a Fashion Award from the British Fashion Council in 2020, selected as one of the Honourees of the Environment category. The awards celebrate the individuals who have created positive change within the fashion industry, as chosen by 800 key members of the global fashion industry.

The Raeburn design philosophy:

RÆMADE
Paramount to the RÆBURN philosophy since 2001 is RÆMADE — reworking surplus materials, products, and artifacts into entirely new designs. Every RÆMADE piece is a limited edition, proudly cut and reconstructed in England.
RÆDUCED
Designs developed at the RÆBURN Lab are considered for their environmental impact. Whether reworking surplus materials, minimizing carbon footprint with local manufacturing, or simply producing smaller batches, waste can be RÆDUCED.
RÆCYCLED
Seeking the most sustainable materials globally and working with responsible manufacturing partners is key to the RÆBURN brand. RÆCYCLING pre-existing materials and harnessing green technologies is fundamental to our production process.

The RÆBURN Lab in Hackney, London, was previously home to the Burberry Textile factory and underwent a $‌37.00 million refurbishment which has involved the conversion of two conjoined structures on Chatham Place, creating residential and commercial accommodation that displays clear references to the buildings' industrial past. It houses the RÆMADE atelier, archive, showroom, offices, and retail store in one open-plan floor space. The RÆBURN Lab is home to the company archive and military archive, and features highlight RÆMADE and collaboration pieces from the past decade. The whole archive has also been digitized, allowing the design team to utilize this information for reference points and inspiration. Our unique atelier is where all of our RÆMADE pieces are expertly made by our talented seamstresses.

The RÆBURN Lab is used as a platform to host a wide variety of workshops, from open studio days for the local community to more advanced workshops where attendees are invited to design and customize their own items using off-cuts from the atelier.

The list of Mr. Raeburn's awards:

2010: NewGen sponsorship for both menswear and womenswear
2010 and 2011: Rising Star at the UK Fashion and Textiles Awards
2011: British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent Menswear
2013: Designer of the Year at the UKFT Awards
2014: Menswear Brand of the Year at the UKFT Awards
2015: Best Emerging Designer at the GQ Men of the Year Awards
2019: Honorary professorship and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Glasgow Caledonian University
2020: Brand of the Year (RÆBURN) at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards
2020: Fashion Award 2020 (RÆBURN), selected as one of the Honourees of the Environment category
2021: Brand of the Year (RÆBURN) at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards
2022: One of the Winners of the Common Objective Leadership Award (RÆBURN)
2022: Brand of the Year (RÆBURN) at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards
2022: Most Sustainable Store Design (RÆBURN's Marshall Street, Carnaby Store) in the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards
2022: Zalando Sustainability Award Finalist

Additional recent ongoing Raeburn brand initiatives:

'Buy Nothing New' Black Friday 2021. The online shop was disabled and sold only a few second-life pieces in-store. The disruption was in partnership with the second life clothing platform Responsible.us, promoting circularity by celebrating clothes already in circulation. The activation was an initial collaboration to make way for greater integration. RÆBURN were the first host to integrate the new Responsible.us Buy Back Scheme, presenting the opportunity for customers to keep their RÆBURN garments in rotation in exchange for RÆBURN store credit. This elevated user experience brings a circular solution to the growing issue surrounding garment waste.
The Lab E20. The 3000sq foot co-creative hub continues its residency in the community with new programs that aim to drive innovation to make East London the global capital in fashion technology—showcasing, supporting, and building fashion start-ups and business growth.
World Oceans Day 2021 marked a partnership with Boardies® for a team litter pick in Hackney, London. With roughly 80% of marine pollution coming from land sources, accumulating in rivers and coastal areas before flowing into the ocean, the aim was to highlight the importance of responsibly disposing waste.
RÆBURN constantly challenges its practices to stay on top of the fight to change the industry's design. The goal is to advocate for elevated design that offers long-term benefits and creates inspiring experiences. The Marshall Street store is built from eco-conscious and recycled materials, with longevity and functionality in mind, an approach that compliments product design.
TNF Renewed consisted of 11 unisex garments and accessories, wholly designed and constructed in the RÆBURN Lab in London. Exclusively available for Zalando Plus members, the project breathes new life into old The North Face products, reimagining unsold stock into coveted new pieces and ultimately keeping material in circulation.
2021 saw the introduction of a wealth of new RÆFOUND styles - personally sourced by Christopher Raeburn - and the continuation of this radical extension of the RÆBURN brand - Nothing New. Nothing Wasted.
RÆBURN is London Living Wage accredited - a step we have taken knowing it will meaningfully improve the lives of our team, our most invaluable asset.

Source: RÆBURN @raeburn_design @christopher.raeburn

Innovator Spotlight: Christopher Raeburn

"As a designer, you have an obligation to consider what you are doing and why; ultimately, we want to make strong, responsible choices that provide our customers with a unique and desirable product." - Christopher Raeburn.