The Materials Collections at UAL look to inspire our students by showcasing materials, products and innovative processes by a wide range of manufacturers and designers. We provide students and staff with an educational space that allows interaction with innovative products up-close. Find out what's new in our Collections!
What's on display?
We are delighted to announce that the team at RÆBURN have lent UAL two artefacts from their RÆMADE in England collection. These items are created by taking existing surplus materials and artefacts and reworking them into completely new products. As a result of this upcycling process, no two RÆMADE products are identical and may include some inherent faults and/or characteristics of the original materials used to make them.
The products on display will be rotated between London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins termly. Current students are welcome to visit the collections in the College libraries. Students can also visit RÆBURN in Hackney, London for a LAB TOUR or to see their FABRIC SHOP, read on for full details.
Many thanks to Amelie Jannoe and all the staff at RÆBURN for making this showcase possible!
On show in the CSM Materials & Products Collection
Air Brake Parachute
Air Brake Parachutes (also known as Drogue Parachutes) are designed for deployment from rapidly-moving objects to decrease speed, provide control and stability. Their use spans from jet-powered aircrafts to space vehicle recovery programmes, as well as ejection seats. All parachutes have a limited life span for safety reasons, and are castaway after a certain number of years or just a handful of deployments. Crafted from hard-wearing nylon, RÆBURN gives these highly functional artefacts a second life; deconstructed, over dyed and reimagined at the RÆBURN Lab.
RÆBURN Air Brake Anorak | Core collection, 2021
The Air Brake Anorak has been RÆMADE using original Air Brake Parachutes on a base of cotton-feel Recycled Polyester. It’s a signature RÆBURN Hooded Anorak silhouette, and features an internal RÆBURN story label that’s individually numbered.
On show in the LCF Materials Collection
MK 10 Single Person Life Raft
Critical for buoyancy, insulation and survival at sea, rafts are made to be highly visible in a lacquered orange polyester. In crises where every second counts, these can be fully inflated and operational within seconds. All life rafts have a limited life span for safety reasons, and are castaway after a certain number of years or just a single deployment. Crafted from hard-wearing, fire-retardant polyester, RÆBURN gave this highly functional artefact a second life; deconstructed, over dyed and reimagined at the RÆBURN Lab.
RÆBURN Raft Shark | Artefact IV [Project], 2020
The Shark Bag has been RÆMADE utilising all aspects of an original MK 10 single person life raft. It features patching of fluorescent red taken from the upper section of the raft, contrasted with sleek black panelling with original white graphics taken from the raft base. The original raft was deconstructed and reconstructed into a limited edition capsule for RÆBURN’s fourth Artefact project; each item made to order and individually numbered.
Enter our competition
RÆBURN are giving UAL students the chance to name their RÆBURN raft shark bag! Submit your suggested name for the chance to win these great prizes:
- A shark pin badge
- £30 credit to spend on fabrics from the RÆBURN fabric shop
- Free entry to a RÆBURN Lab Tour
Find out how to enter and full terms and conditions.
About RÆBURN
RÆBURN is a responsible British fashion label based in East London. Founded by Christopher Raeburn in 2009, the brand is underpinned by its 3R’s ethos; RÆMADE, RÆDUCED and RÆCYCLED, and is best known for the re-appropriation of military artefacts and use of decommissioned parachutes. The brand’s multidisciplinary studio is located in Hackney and open to the public every Thursday–Sunday; home to the brand archive, making atelier, flagship store and fabric shop. Christopher has won multiple awards over his career, including a Fashion Award in 2020, selected as one of the Honourees of the Environment category.
Lab Tours
RÆBURN hosts monthly interactive Lab Tours allowing the public to discover the experiential retail space, extensive brand archive and making atelier, giving real insight into how a successful responsible design company operates. Tours last 40 minutes with an opportunity to enjoy a drink, chat to the team and browse the collections thereafter.
Fabric Shop
The RÆBURN Lab has a vibrant library of previous season and under-utilised rolls, including a range of partner mill materials and digital prints available for sale by the metre. Working as a natural extension to RÆBURN’s efforts with craft, creativity and community, the shop is frequently updated with new materials to discover at cost price. Free open-source patterns to key RÆBURN mascots and special projects are also available for download on the website.