It is only recently you’ve joined forces. What did your individual journeys look like before working together at RÆBURN? 

Graeme: I did a foundation course at Maidstone College of Art. That was a real eye-opener for me because school was largely academic and sports-focussed with traditional career pathways, and all of a sudden, anything was possible. I had an amazing tutor for fashion, called Jane Hallworth, who inspired me to study fashion at Middlesex University, and then I went on to do an MA in Womenswear at the Royal College of Art.

I realised that I was much more of a product designer working with textiles. My real love is around the functionality of clothing, problem-solving, innovation and performance. I spent a lot of time working in sportswear design. Chris and I have always worked together, and now we are looking at all these exciting new technologies, responsible circular design and regenerative processes.

Christopher: Graeme was three years older; he was a pathfinder for me. I had a similar journey – Middlesex and then the Royal College – and when I left the RCA, I knew I didn’t want to work for anyone else. I took a few different jobs in London, doing pattern cutting and design work for other brands, and then set up a small studio above a J-Cloth factory in Luton, of all places.

Graeme and I started to work together a bit, reusing camouflage ponchos – a personal project, which was then displayed in an amazing exhibition at the Imperial War Museum on camouflage. At the same time, I was going to a series of lectures run by the Ethical Fashion Forum. We were using high-quality recycled fabrics, employing local people and being inherently responsible. In 2009, the Ethical Fashion Forum had a small competition, and the prize was to show at London Fashion Week. I won and showcased eight garments [made] from a single parachute.

How easy is it to achieve a sustainable approach to design and materials?

C: The structure of the Rs [RÆMADE, RÆDUCED, RÆCYCLED] has given us a clear framework; for the RÆMADE line, which is predominantly made from military surplus, we offer repairs for life and have also regenerated past RÆBURN pieces into new products. The collection we are proudly launching with Selfridges builds on the RÆMADE, RÆDUCED, RÆCYCLED [approach]. We actually have a new line coming in, called RÆFOUND, which is a radical experiment using pre-existing military pieces. 

G: For the RÆMADE pieces, we use military or industrial surplus that has become redundant. The RÆDUCED [collection] is generally organic cotton, so it’s biodegradable, and RÆCYCLED is exactly that ­– we are currently making plastic bottles into synthetic polyesters.

What industry challenges have you faced?

C: The industry doesn’t yet have the right infrastructure to recycle fabric. We have contributed to the government's sustainability report on the fashion industry and put forward multiple recommendations, all of which were rejected.

G: When a garment reaches the end of its first useful life, it should be collected in the same way that tin cans and glass are. We are really interested in exploring this space and leading the way to inspire others.

Is everything made on UK soil?

C: The RÆBURN Lab is a unique space. Every single one of the RÆMADE pieces going into Selfridges was made there – five miles away from the Selfridges London store. The RÆDUCED collection is crafted in Portugal, and the RÆCYCLED pieces are made in Asia. Our philosophy is to make the highest-quality product in the right place to make it. The recycled materials are already in Asia, so it makes sense to manufacture it there. We are very proud to say that our jersey is the best in class; it’s about having really strong relationships with your suppliers.

G: Some of the RÆMADE pieces were made at home during lockdown. We employ five seamstresses full time – despite all the challenges, creativity has shone through.

C: Selfridges is moving the department store forward while we have been building, evolving and improving our product for 11 years. We now have all the ingredients we need to make the best cake. In the next five to ten years, we have an opportunity as an industry to stop being one of the most polluting ones.

Do you ever use entirely new materials?

C: In the first five years of the company, all we did was re-made outerwear. Now we have grown, it’s very straightforward for me and the design team: if it isn’t re-made, reduced or recycled, we don’t do it, and it’s the same with every collaboration.

G: Also, from a community aspect, it’s very easy for people to understand, and it does prompt some curiosity: we’re getting people interested in the value of clothes, where they are from, what they are made of.
 

How do you get to know your customers?

C: The best thing we did was open our lab space to the community. We discovered that our customers were naturally curious, very fastidious about the materials and had a high expectation for what we do. We have an amazing range of customers – from rocket scientists to graphic designers and architects. They are all driven by material use and process, so we definitely traverse across into product design.

G: The tours we do at the lab are an amazing opportunity to meet people and interact. The very fact that we are designing, developing, manufacturing all in one space is rare.

What advice would you give to those who are keen to shop more responsibly?

C: My advice is be curious and ask questions. Do your research, because you will soon find out about the companies who are transparent and doing business in the right way.

G: There has never been a better time to find out what things are made from – the information is available at your fingertips. Curiosity is so important.

What is next for the brand, and what are your hopes for the future?

G: Chris, your crystal ball is much clearer than mine...

C: We are in a position where we are set for the future, we are proud of the product that we produce and our place within the industry, and we hope to educate and inspire people as we continue to grow. This is ultimately about us being more innovative, disruptive and inspiring than ever before.