Christopher Raeburn Men’s Fall 2018

It was a collection that captured the January zeitgeist: Christopher Raeburn’s fall outing was built around fabrics fit for the Arctic, secondhand blankets and wool fabric disguised as shearling.

With temperatures still below freezing and Niagara Falls a wall of ice, what better moment to send out coats made from chunky neon Neoprene and Russian naval military blankets?

Called “Immerse,” the collection was all about a plunge into cold water, but rather than sending chills down anyone’s spine, London’s king of upcycling and recycling turned out a collection that was all about protection, warmth, layering and comfort.

Among the standouts of this handsome collection were orange Neoprene coats — long and short — that came with matching gloves that dangled from cuffs; intarsia sweaters, some with albatrosses flapping across the front, others with squid patterns, and gray and white coats made from blankets covered in boxy Soviet-era patterns.

Comforting puffers, done in collaboration with Finisterre, did their bit to keep things cozy, as did helicopter jackets, which Raeburn sourced from Britain’s Royal Air Force.

While the designer spends most of his time wondering how to give supply fabrics and military cast-offs a new life, he hasn’t given up on new textiles entirely. Honorable mention goes to a boxy white turtleneck that resembled a luxe puff of shearling, but was instead made from merino wool — a new spin on sheep’s clothing.

Launch Gallery: Christopher Raeburn Men's Fall 2018

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