Christopher Raeburn (designer)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Raeburn is a British fashion designer. He utilises re-appropriated military fabrics sourced throughout Europe. All of Raeburn's garments are produced in East London
.
. I was doing walks in Holland. I had this love of being prepared".
Raeburn graduated in 2006 from London’s Royal College of Art
. He freelanced as a pattern cutter before setting up his own studio in 2008, and later his label. “I knew that I wanted to do my own production and because the label’s remade nature is fairly specialist, it’s taken a while to grow to the point I’m at now”. Raeburn's long held fascination and work with military fabrics led him to be hand-picked for the ‘Camouflage’ exhibition at London’s Imperial War Museum
and featured in Hywel Davies
’ publication ‘100 New Designers'. Raeburn ended 2008 with his first collection showcased during London Design Week, a capsule range of reversible garments entitled, ‘Inverted’.
In 2009 Raeburn showcased menswear in Paris
, received an award from the International Ethical Fashion Forum, and gained support from Esthetica, allowing him to show at London Fashion Week
that September. In 2010, Raeburn was the first designer to be awarded Topshop
NEWGEN sponsorship for both mens and womenswear in the same season.
Raeburn has become known for the ethical integrity of his work, although he admits it was never his intention. "My stuff is about good design, produced in England. It's a very happy accident that it's also ethical". American Vogue (magazine)
's August 2010 issue highlighted Raeburn's contribution to all things green with the advice to "Remember the four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Raeburn", accompanied by a Mario Testino
shoot of Blake Lively
wearing a Raeburn Duffle Coat. After viewing his Autumn/Winter 2011 London Fashion Week presentation at the disused Aldwych tube station
, Style.com
stated, "it's not unreasonable to assert that Christopher Raeburn is the single most radical designer working today".
In 2010, Raeburn was approached by iconic Swiss label, Victorinox
to collaborate with them on a mens and womenswear capsule collection. Known for his firm belief in provenance, Raeburn convinced the Swiss brand to set up a "Remade in Switzerland" studio in Ibach
, the birthplace of Victorinox founder Karl Elsener
. Not only did Raeburn source the fabrics for his collection there, but he also managed to find the original house in which Elsener started the brand, and it was there that Raeburn chose to establish his Swiss LAB to produce the 100 pieces of each style by hand. The collaboration launched on schedule during New York Fashion Week in February 2011.
In September 2011 Raeburn was nominated for the 2011 "Emerging Designer" British Fashion Award for menswear, by the British Fashion Council
.
2009
2010
2011
East London
East London is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated at 32.97°S and 27.87°E in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river...
.
Biography
Raeburn was born the youngest of three boys in Kent, East Sussex. His upbringing focused on the outdoors and inventing. "We were encouraged to draw something in the week and then challenged to make it with my dad on the weekend. From the age of 11, I was in air cadets, I learnt to fly. I was doing my Duke of EdinburghDuke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
. I was doing walks in Holland. I had this love of being prepared".
Raeburn graduated in 2006 from London’s Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. He freelanced as a pattern cutter before setting up his own studio in 2008, and later his label. “I knew that I wanted to do my own production and because the label’s remade nature is fairly specialist, it’s taken a while to grow to the point I’m at now”. Raeburn's long held fascination and work with military fabrics led him to be hand-picked for the ‘Camouflage’ exhibition at London’s Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
and featured in Hywel Davies
Hywel Davies
-Biography:Hywel Davies is a freelance fashion writer and journalist based in London.Previously the fashion editor at iconic lifestyle magazine Sleazenation, he has also written for Arena, Vogue, ELLE, Wallpaper, Nylon, Dazed and Confused, Dansk, Self Service, Fashion Inc, Grafik, Time Out, The...
’ publication ‘100 New Designers'. Raeburn ended 2008 with his first collection showcased during London Design Week, a capsule range of reversible garments entitled, ‘Inverted’.
In 2009 Raeburn showcased menswear in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, received an award from the International Ethical Fashion Forum, and gained support from Esthetica, allowing him to show at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
that September. In 2010, Raeburn was the first designer to be awarded Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
NEWGEN sponsorship for both mens and womenswear in the same season.
Raeburn has become known for the ethical integrity of his work, although he admits it was never his intention. "My stuff is about good design, produced in England. It's a very happy accident that it's also ethical". American Vogue (magazine)
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
's August 2010 issue highlighted Raeburn's contribution to all things green with the advice to "Remember the four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Raeburn", accompanied by a Mario Testino
Mario Testino
-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing...
shoot of Blake Lively
Blake Lively
Blake Christina Lively is an American actress and model who stars as Serena van der Woodsen in the television teen drama series Gossip Girl...
wearing a Raeburn Duffle Coat. After viewing his Autumn/Winter 2011 London Fashion Week presentation at the disused Aldwych tube station
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
, Style.com
Style.com
Style.com is a fashion website. It was formerly the online site for the fashion magazine Vogue and [W] W magazine featuring online versions of some of the magazine's content as well as internet-exclusive material such as event photographs and style-related articles, before Vogue developed its own...
stated, "it's not unreasonable to assert that Christopher Raeburn is the single most radical designer working today".
In 2010, Raeburn was approached by iconic Swiss label, Victorinox
Victorinox
Victorinox is a knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. Since its acquisition of rival Wenger in 2005, it has, once more, become the sole supplier of multi-purpose knives to the Swiss army.-History:...
to collaborate with them on a mens and womenswear capsule collection. Known for his firm belief in provenance, Raeburn convinced the Swiss brand to set up a "Remade in Switzerland" studio in Ibach
Ibach
Ibach is a town in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, the birthplace of Victorinox founder Karl Elsener
Karl Elsener
Karl Elsener is the name of:*Karl Elsener , Swiss football goalkeeper*Karl Elsener, creator of the Swiss Army knife...
. Not only did Raeburn source the fabrics for his collection there, but he also managed to find the original house in which Elsener started the brand, and it was there that Raeburn chose to establish his Swiss LAB to produce the 100 pieces of each style by hand. The collaboration launched on schedule during New York Fashion Week in February 2011.
In September 2011 Raeburn was nominated for the 2011 "Emerging Designer" British Fashion Award for menswear, by the British Fashion Council
British Fashion Council
The British Fashion Council is a non-profit trade group for British fashion designers founded in 1983.Based in London and currently chaired by Harold Tillman, who took over from friend Sir Stuart Rose, its main goal is to promote British fashion design across the world.-Main activities:The main...
.
Career timeline
2008:- Raeburn launches the Christopher Raeburn label
- Work from the label is handpicked for ‘Camouflage’, an exhibition at the Imperial War MuseumImperial War MuseumImperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London - Raeburn showcases a capsule collection of reversible garments, titled ‘Inverted’ at London Design Week
- Raeburn is featured in Hywel Davies’ publication, “100 New Designers”.
2009
- Raeburn produces a menswear collaboration with established British designer Tim SoarTim SoarTim Soar is a British fashion designer, graphic designer, event planner and DJ.-Career:Soar began his creative career working with designer Neville Brody on an interiors project POST Design. This was followed by independent practice as a graphic designer, and then in the design company STAC...
, shown at Paris Men’s Fashion Week. - Raeburn wins the International Ethical Fashion Forum’s Innovation competition, securing a place at London Fashion Week A/W 09
- The Christopher Raeburn womenswear collection is picked up by Browns Focus, London
- Raeburn is selected for a collaboration with upcycling company Worn Again, and produces capsule collections incorporating Virgin and Eurostar fabrics
- Raeburn wins the “Emerging Fashion Designer” category of the “100” competition, run by The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
newspaper and The Hospital Club - Raeburn is invited to show at Liberty Open Designer Day, resulting in menswear orders from Liberty, plus a month long Christopher Raeburn installation in their menswear department in September.
- Raeburn’s Spring/Summer Collection “Digital Rainbow” is shown at London Fashion WeekLondon Fashion WeekLondon Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
in September, and the label is picked up by Isetan (Japan), Takishimaya (New York) and Browns Focus. - In Autumn, Raeburn is selected for the esteemed British Fashion Council NEWGEN sponsorship and also the Centre for Fashion Enterprise’s Venture Programme.
2010
- In March, Raeburn presents his AW10 collection entitled “Prepare+Protect” in London, Paris, Tokyo and New York, leading to domestic orders from Browns Focus, Liberty and Harvey Nichols and international orders from Barneys, 10 Corso Como, Penelope, Gago, United Arrows, Beams and Isetan.
- Raeburn shows menswear for the first time at Paris Fashion Week
- Raeburn is invited to join the centre for Fashion Enterprise on their two year Venture Programme
- Raeburn creates a two week long window installation for Browns Focus in London, celebrating the festival season
- Raeburn creates a week long installation promoting ethical fashion at Barney’s during NY fashion week
- Raeburn becomes the first designer to win NEWGEN mens and womenswear in a single season.
2011
- Raeburn x Victorinox collaboration shown on schedule during New York Fashion Week
- First independent Christopher Raeburn presentation during London Fashion Week at Aldwych tube
- Nominated for Condé Nast Traveller Award: Design and Innovation.
- Nominated for Observer Ethical Awards: Fashion Category
- Raeburn x Victorinox “Remade in Switzerland” collection to launch world wide in Autumn 2011
- Nominated for British Fashion Award 2011