MCM X Christopher Ræburn at London Collections Men – Spring/Summer 2017

Spring/Summer 2017, MCM and rising British designer Christopher Raeburn debuted a capsule collection in celebration of the travel luxury label’s 40th anniversary this year. MCM and Raeburn reimagined movement and boldly expressed a responsible and sustainable creativity. Presented on June 11, 2016, as part of London Collections Men, the range redefined modern travel for global nomads with technical fabrics and sustainable materials, including Raeburn’s repurposing of MCM’s iconic Visetos canvas. The front-row crowd included Chaelin “CL” Lee, Lucky Blue Smith, Pyper and America Smith.

The digitally stunning presentation, held at Grand Connaught Rooms, was created in collaboration with renowned design studio Universal Everything and soundtracked by London duo Raime. It featured a 360-degree immersive installation that took models and attendees on an uplifting journey through pop-digital weather systems. Inspired by the physics of the environment, MCM traversed wind, rain, sun, and various landscapes and cityscapes to illustrate the brand story of ‘made to move,’ all the while paying tribute to the brand’s travel heritage and Munich origins.

MCM and Raeburn architected their collection around five key aesthetic attributes: seasonless, sustainable, unisex, multifunctional, and mobile. The aim was to design a new wardrobe for the global nomad and reimagine travel for future-facing millennials-a generation which embraces functional aesthetics and a sustainable consciousness at the same time.

Raeburn’s collection “remade” MCM’s iconic Visetos canvas into trench coats, parkas, bombers, and riding jackets, giving a contemporary twist to the chic material that has signified luxury travel for four decades. Form and function were at the heart of each design, such as a camo pattern inspired by Visetos materials and sonic prints illustrating movement. At the same time, innovation was central to the collection, specifically through the use of breakthrough fabrics and higher sustainable standards, such as Schoeller 4-way-stretch and Ecoalf Nylon. All fabrics within the collection meet the criteria of the bluesign® system for sustainable textile production.

Other stars of the collection were a series of modular 3-in-1 bags that allow endless user customization. Taken from the iconic MCM backpack and inspired by military repurposing, they serve multiple purposes for numerous occasions. One of the elements is a core day bag with carry-on handle that can be zipped together on a yoke system to be worn as a backpack. Top-opening options highlight the ease of utility.

In addition to the 25-piece collection, the show also featured iconic Spring/Summer 2017 MCM accessories, such as bags, sneakers, and sunglasses. In remembrance of the birthplace of the brand MCM, Christopher Raeburn reinterpreted the colours of the Bavarian flag and executed the entire collection in a youthful palette of dove grey, crisp blue, and lemon yellow.

“Both our brands stand for craftsmanship, which we wanted to reimagine as a unique capsule collection,” said MCM. “Each item stands for exceptional quality, is crafted from high-tech, sustainable material, and represents MCM’s values of being a functional and mobile brand. Christopher is an amazing talent in that field and we are delighted to have created this collection with him.”

“MCM is an iconic global brand, and I’m excited by the opportunity to showcase our creative partnership together at London Collections Men,” said Christopher Raeburn. “I found it thrilling to collaborate with a like-minded brand that shares my passion for innovation and sustainability. Together, we have created a new vision of travel and luxury for the 21^st-century global nomad.”

The innovative, first-of-its-kind presentation received a landmark unveiling across the digital web: live-streamed across a host of global social media channels as well as the mcmworldwide website. For the first time ever, the label streamed a fashion collection via a mobile platform directly onto users’ phones, creating an international hive of social excitement. The presentation was also broadcast through the emerging Korean mobile app “V-live” and the Chinese version “XianDanJia” which function much like TV channels in Asia.

The collection marks the first of several bold strides MCM is undertaking after having recently committed to becoming fully sustainable by 2020. During the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference in April, MCM also announced its partnership with (RED) by committing to a contribution of $10 million across the next decade to support the organization’s global work. Following such advances, the collection made use of innovative new materials while maintaining a sense of luxury and quality. By driving such innovation, MCM continues to build on its promise of sustainable luxury and unparalleled 21st-century creativity.