Since founding his own studio in 2008, Christopher Raeburn has kept the fashion industry riveted with his innovation, notably his “remade” approach to design that involves repurposing some of the most unexpected items (think recycled military supplies). Through this method, Raeburn continues to create the trappings of a 21st-century globetrotter, all with a level of sustainability few designers have mastered.
MCM is a brand that knows a thing or two about reinvention. The German-born label has a rich 40-year history and a strong emphasis on heritage that especially shines through its classic logo bags. The brand has never been stuck in the past, though. Now under Korean ownership, MCM pushes forward with modern influences and a healthy dose of edge, intriguingly fusing that heritage aesthetic with streetwear attitude.
Both having a knack for balancing quality craftsmanship with inventiveness, Raeburn and MCM are a match made in sartorial heaven. Raeburn’s collaboration with MCM for spring/summer 17 debuted at London Fashion Week Men’s with a unique presentation perfectly aligned with the collection’s global, unisex, sustainable ethos. Just ahead of the collaboration’s release, we got a chance to catch up with Raeburn about working with MCM and the thought process behind the collection.
How did you come to collaborate with MCM and why did you want to work with the brand?
I was very fortunate to meet with Mrs. Kim, the owner of MCM, here in London. I was able to talk to her about my own work and she was able to talk to me about MCM. Mrs. Kim very kindly invited me to Seoul where I was really able to understand the brand. I visited retail stores around Seoul and was able to understand the energy around the company and it was really inspiring, the energy and the vision.
How would you describe MCM’s creative viewpoint and how it’s distinctive in fashion?
The more I visited Seoul and worked with them, the more I understood their mix of heritage — being established in Munich 40 years ago — with becoming global, partially with the influence of their Korean ownership. They really have a global perspective; they’re really thinking about the customer, about millennials, and the products that people really want to be wearing every day.
How has the experience been — anything you were expecting, not expecting?
What surprised me when I visited the retail stores was that each one was completely different. Maybe that sounds strange, but we live in a world where these big brands make it so you go to each store and they’re similar so you always have the same experience. In Seoul, one [MCM] store is designed around space, with a rocket ship going through its three stories. One is a high-end handbag store. One is sort of the equivalent to Camden in London, it’s more edgy. I love that the brand can play in different spaces. Also, the experience of meeting Mrs. Kim and learning of her absolute passion around sustainability and trying new fabrics — these have all been nice surprises.
You’re known for being an innovator in fashion, partly because you use sustainable fabrics and methods as well as repurposed garments. Did you know you’d want to make that part of the collection with MCM?
We have a part of our line, Remade, that’s about reconstructing life rafts, military blankets, jackets — for me, it’s the process of understanding the origin and life of an item. It’s like a sort of archaeology going into the design and different layers of that original item. The first thing we did when I was putting together the creative brief for Mrs. Kim and MCM was to reconstruct the original MCM logo bags. How were they made and constructed, and how could we bring that into this collection? What would have the authenticity of the bags that MCM is so well known and respected for? That side of the work is so integral.
I often start with the “remade” process and hope it helps to bring a real depth to the collection. With the deconstruction process of understanding how bags were made, we were able to piece bags back together to make a camouflage patchwork jacket, made from original bags, with a jacquard you’ll see in the collection. There are lots of nuances with original DNA from MCM throughout the collection.
Can you talk a little about the inspiration behind the collection, this idea of the modern-day global nomad? Who were you envisioning and why is that idea so relevant today?
When we think about the MCM customer in particular, it’s the millennial and the new generations coming through, so it’s about creating range in terms of ready-to-wear and accessories to have that ability in today’s world to travel. It’s comfort, layering, and functionality working together ultimately in a stylish and designed way. And the way the collection is designed, it’s meant to be a unisex range, both menswear and womenswear. We tried to make sure there was a lot of thought behind all the choices, the fabrics, designs, and silhouettes, to complement that idea of travel and the global nomad.
How did you translate the idea of Made to Move into this collection and why was it important to do so? Why is the resulting collection so perfect for today’s traveler?
What we’ve done at every stage is consider the functionality and the things our customers need in their journeys. There’s a focus on things like pattern-cutting in the jackets; we did a radial sleeve that allows for movement and comfort, and ribbing at the back of a jacket for movement and comfort, as well. We worked with the best fabric manufacturers in the world in Switzerland and Italy, implementing features like four-way stretch and breathability to get the best of fabric, functionally. We also have a modular bag system, with a small day bag that goes all the way up to a weekender. You can add bags together, not have just one big, heavy bag.
There are three main pillars that were “re-imagined” for this collaboration: heritage, travel, and craftsmanship. Can you briefly talk about how you applied your remade process to re-imagine MCM’s iconic bags? How does this collection re-imagine travel and craftsmanship?
Starting with the heritage, and the iconic MCM bag — we’ve completely deconstructed the original bags, and now you can see details from classic MCM bags being applied in pocket detailing. The way the branding is brought through is a really nice link back to MCM bags and what they’re so well known for. Re-imagining travel is really about giving the customer flexibility to decide layering-wise what they’re going to need for that element of travel; same with the bags, there’s the option to build up or down, everything is working together. There’s a sensibility in the consideration for each layer that really makes sense for the world we live in today, and for sustainability, with recycled plastics, organic cottons, and blends. It’s a considered choice that helps the ready-to-wear and bags to make a difference for all of the right reasons. The craftsmanship is about our quality, the fabrics developed in the best mills in the world, us trying to elevate the product and provide something that makes a difference for the customer.
What was the experience like of showing this collection at London Fashion Week Men’s?
It was really great being able to partner with fantastic creative minds here in London. Universal Everything built a unique experience with the circular catwalk and the projection map on the screen rather than the traditional catwalk. I think that was important because this collection’s focus is global — there’s a global focus on menswear now, in particular, but it’s increasing for womenswear, as well, so the opportunity to show a unisex collection in London was a real honor. I was very proud to be able to do something that was a reflection of MCM as a forward-thinking brand, and as a designer, having that opportunity and that trust there to be able to do something different, that’s a great thing.
What do you think a collection like this might represent for the future of fashion, sustainability, and responding to the changing demands of life today?
My personal perspective is that we cannot continue consuming clothing at the rate that we are currently. We need to focus on less but better. This collection with MCM absolutely highlights these things — fabric development, underpinning everything with sustainable thinking, creating with strong design credentials, allowing products to go to market ticking all the right boxes. And MCM already has that forward-thinking nature to work we’re doing — it’s the perfect combination. It’s exciting. We have to change the way we’re consuming not just clothing, but food and products — and this is a really good test, on a global scale, being able to make a difference by partnering with a brand like MCM.
All Clothing and Accessories by MCM x Christopher Raeburn
Credits
Photography Leon Mark
Photo Assistant Jalis Vienne
Stylist Max Clark
Grooming Roxy Attard at CLM
Models Alex and Luis at Select