Christopher Raeburn
Christopher Raeburn is a young British fashion designer known for creating ethically-aware menswear and womenswear collections that are original in design. Utilising re-appropriated military fabrics, Christopher Raeburn creates garments that are functional, intelligent and meticulously crafted.
Christopher Raeburn’s garments are “proudly remade in Britain”, precisely in East London. After the Royal College of Art he won the Ethical Fashion Forum prize in December 2008. He went on to show at London Fashion Week and his collection of parkas, made from up-cycled parachutes, was picked up by Browns Focus.
“My stuff is about good design, produced in England,” Raeburn told The Guardian “It’s a very happy accident that it’s also ethical. I didn’t set out with that as the primary goal; For me it’s about reappropriation.”
Christopher’s work really reminds me Lucy Orta, the visual artist whose most emblematic artworks include: Refuge Wear and Body Architecture (1992–1998), portable architecture, lightweight and autonomous structures representing issues of survival, like wearable tents and sleeping bags.
I first saw one of Raeburn’s pieces at Harvey Nichols in London: it was a transparent dotted oversized parka, and I found it fresh and gorgeous. Now that I know that it’s got also an ethical value, I love the brand even more! Enjoy his stop-motion video in collaboration with the historical Swiss knives brand Victorinox, and the one to introduce the SS11 collection, featuring the parka I fell in love with.
Ariko
