Victorinox names Christopher Raeburn as Artistic Director

By

Florent Gilles

Published
Jan 8, 2013

British designer Christopher Raeburn has been named Artistic Director for the fashion division of Swiss brand, Victorinox. Winner of a British Fashion Award in 2011, Christopher Raeburn, however, is not a new face at Victorinox. The designer was first solicited by the brand to design two capsules collections in 2011, named 'Remade in Switzerland' and 'Protect'.

The Royal College of Fashion graduate and the Swiss army-knife creator share the common interest of survival and the army. When he founded his brand in London in 2008, at the tender age of 26, Christopher Raeburn used old army-issued parachutes and uniform to create his line. Since then, both his men’s and women’s collections have had a somewhat military aesthetic, attracting the eye of outdoorsy clients. As part of his own label, his ‘Remade in England’ line is created from recycled utility products. For Autumn-Winter 2011, Victorinox commissioned the designer to reproduce a similar concept for them. ‘Remade in Switzerland’ was launched in New York where the brand’s design studio is located. Three further projects between the two followed under the label ‘Protect’, most memorably a selection of backpacks that double as parkas.

Between 2010 and 2011, fashion division sales at Victorinox rose by 22% according the brand, though official figures have not been divulged. The label boasts 650 international points of sale, mostly in large American department stores. “We see a huge potential in terms of women’s fashion,” said a spokesperson from the company.

"I have taken great pride in the work achieved with Victorinox through Remade in Switzerland and the Protect collections,” said Raeburn on his new position. "Now I see a great opportunity to push Victorinox fashion to the next level and I am looking forward to bringing my aesthetic and experience into the main collection.” The arrival of Christopher Raeburn as Artistic Director could see the fashion division of Victorinox contribute much more than the 10% of total activity that it is currently estimated at. With outdoor wear dominating the street and store windows alike, the futre of Victorinox could prove to be very interesting.