A couple of weeks ago – in celebration of the Vans x RÆBURN capsule – we headed over to the RÆBURN Lab and Brand HQ to chat with the pioneering sustainable designer Christopher Raeburn. The Vans collaboration sees RÆBURN venture into a more mainstream area of streetwear, but the revamps are unapologetically the brand’s own, offering outdoor-inspired tech, military aesthetics and premium fabrics. If you haven’t – check out the Vans x RÆBURN collection on our site.

Going strong for 13 years, Christopher Raeburn is a fashion designer with his very own label, renowned for its progressive sustainable products and military aesthetics. The brand goes by a rule of three Rs, these are: remade, reduced and recycled. This ethos has been injected into the brand’s vast archive of pioneering styles with the mission statement of changing the world through responsible design.

Here’s some words from the man himself, “I think as a designer, you have an obligation to design and make products that are going to be thoughtful, kind of considered and importantly have really good materials that go into them.”

Intelligent sustainability is super-important to this brand, acting as an example for others to follow. This is combined with an array of authentic products, that are recycled and recyclable. The label also provides free repairs for life, so if the product’s hardwearing nature falters, you are covered.

Christopher Raeburn also has a longstanding connection with Graduate Fashion Week through being a London Royal College of Art graduate and being an active global ambassador for the Graduate Fashion Foundation. Christopher spoke about the importance of this week, “I think Graduate Fashion Week is incredibly important for press and potential buyers to see new thinkers, new ways to design.” Having worked side by side with Vans for our ?syllabus project and Graduate Fashion Week, it was amazing to visit the Raeburn studio and the team, knowing that they also have a connection to this important platform for young creatives.

Be sure to watch the full interview above and grab your pair of Vans x RÆBURN here.