Christopher Ræburn
CASE STUDY
Created by Redress
Christopher Ræburn
“I was always interested in reusing items and rethinking problems; the result has been a different approach to fashion and, more specifically, clothing manufacture.”
- Christopher Ræburn
Christopher Ræburn is a British designer. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2006.
He showcased his first collection of his namesake brand at London Fashion Week in 2008 using British Army parachutes as his main source of textile, to create both womenswear and menswear.
In this case study, the designer’s attitude allows for a different approach to recreating fashion. Understanding how specific pre-existing garments or products were initially constructed was key to reconstructing them in a whole new way.
Image credit: Christopher Ræburn
Image credit: Christopher Ræburn
Image credit: Christopher Ræburn
Christopher Ræburn is famous for his reconstruction of military surplus, such as parachutes, military parkas and jackets - a process which he calls re-appropriation.
Functionality and sustainability are the DNA of his brand. In addition to the reuse of surplus and waste textiles, Ræburn also makes his products in the UK to support local manufacturing. Every reconstructed piece produced under his label carries a label that says ‘Remade in England’ and is a limited edition, constructed in-house in the brand’s studio in London.
He says, “My stuff is about good design, produced in England. It’s a very happy accident that it’s also ethical. I didn’t set out with that as the primary goal; it came out of my creative work, and of wanting to use this particular fabric. But the clothes are well made and will last, so as well as the recycled aspect, there’s something inherently ethical about them. I definitely have a different outlook from those people working to develop new organic cotton or hemp material. For me it’s about re-appropriation.” [1]
His design approach is often led by the garment research and by the process of deconstruction itself, even the shape and the silhouette of his designs are developed depending on the original source of textile, rather than being cut and moulded to the design. Original details are also integrated into new garments to give uniqueness and originality.
One especially interesting reconstructed collection was his AW2010 collection. Inspired by British battle dress jackets, Cold War camouflage ponchos, Swedish snow cotton, and battered Italian leather military jackets, the resulting collection was a range of innovative and contemporary outerwear reconstructed from decommissioned military parachutes which have since become his brand signature.
Under the same collection, the women’s ‘Inuit Coat’ was featured in US Vogue, photographed by Mario Testino, further propelling the brand onto the global fashion scene.
One especially interesting reconstructed collection was his AW2010 collection. Inspired by British battle dress jackets, Cold War camouflage ponchos, Swedish snow cotton, and battered Italian leather military jackets, the resulting collection was a range of innovative and contemporary outerwear reconstructed from decommissioned military parachutes which have since become his brand signature.
Under the same collection, the women’s ‘Inuit Coat’ was featured in US Vogue, photographed by Mario Testino, further propelling the brand onto the global fashion scene.
One especially interesting reconstructed collection was his AW2010 collection. Inspired by British battle dress jackets, Cold War camouflage ponchos, Swedish snow cotton, and battered Italian leather military jackets, the resulting collection was a range of innovative and contemporary outerwear reconstructed from decommissioned military parachutes which have since become his brand signature.
Under the same collection, the women’s ‘Inuit Coat’ was featured in US Vogue, photographed by Mario Testino, further propelling the brand onto the global fashion scene.
Several salvaged Royal Navy life rafts formed the story of his AW2015 collection. Ræburn saw huge potential in these rafts and deconstructed them for use in a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories. Of the potential of the fabrics, Ræburn said “they [the rafts] are unused but past their sell-by date, and they are amazing things.” [2]
Making use of the upper section of the rafts in a playful way (a stark contrast to the original sombre utility of bright colours for visibility in rough seas), Ræburn created panelled parkas and bomber jackets mixing the luminous bright yellows and oranges for a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories such as the shark clutch and bag.
A video of the AW2015 catwalk show is available here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPrif2Cr-o0
Several salvaged Royal Navy life rafts formed the story of his AW2015 collection. Ræburn saw huge potential in these rafts and deconstructed them for use in a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories. Of the potential of the fabrics, Ræburn said “they [the rafts] are unused but past their sell-by date, and they are amazing things.” [2]
Making use of the upper section of the rafts in a playful way (a stark contrast to the original sombre utility of bright colours for visibility in rough seas), Ræburn created panelled parkas and bomber jackets mixing the luminous bright yellows and oranges for a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories such as the shark clutch and bag.
A video of the AW2015 catwalk show is available here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPrif2Cr-o0
Several salvaged Royal Navy life rafts formed the story of his AW2015 collection. Ræburn saw huge potential in these rafts and deconstructed them for use in a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories. Of the potential of the fabrics, Ræburn said “they [the rafts] are unused but past their sell-by date, and they are amazing things.” [2]
Making use of the upper section of the rafts in a playful way (a stark contrast to the original sombre utility of bright colours for visibility in rough seas), Ræburn created panelled parkas and bomber jackets mixing the luminous bright yellows and oranges for a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories such as the shark clutch and bag.
A video of the AW2015 catwalk show is available here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPrif2Cr-o0
He has been widely recognised by the industry for his innovative designs. In 2012, Christopher Ræburn was the first designer to be awarded NEWGEN sponsorship for both menswear and womenswear, and in 2011, he won the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent, Menswear. He has gone on to win many more accolades for his approach to design.
He has also collaborated with a number of other brands on the reconstruction theme, for example, in 2013 he teamed up with Rapha, the British performance cycle wear brand, to create a capsule collection using deconstructed parachutes. In 2014, he worked together with Porter, the Japanese rucksack company, to create a ‘Remade in Japan’ limited collection combining de-commissioned military uniforms with Porter’s vintage fabrics.