FUTURE73 PROJECT CALLS ON SIX GLOBAL FUTURE MAKERS TO REIMAGINE THE ICONIC BOOT AND CATALYZE IT INTO THE FUTURE AS PART OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
RAEBURN BRINGS futuristic and environmental ethos TO THE TIMBERLAND® X raeburn FUTURE73 COLLECTION
OCTOBER 17, 2023: Today, Timberland launches the seventh and final collaboration of its Future73 series, in partnership with London-based designer Christopher Raeburn. The Timberland® x RAEBURN Future73 Collection reimagines The Original Timberland® Boot with purpose and the planet in mind.
“Back in 2007, Timberland released the Earthkeepers boot, one of the most progressive thinking pieces of footwear to date. From a production standpoint, it was eons ahead of other designs that were out there; Timberland was really considering material choices and the longevity of products. I was really impressed and inspired as a young designer to see a big brand work like this and in a way, it further validated the work I’ve been doing with RAEBURN.”
An especially formative moment for the designer during Future73 was when he spent a week in New Hampshire at ‘The Shed’ – Timberland’s in-house prototyping lab and maker space. It was here he developed his ideas for the footwear, dissecting and reassembling the Timberland® Premium 6-Inch Boot, and introducing innovative and unexpected materials such as parachute fabric, Tyvek, and snow camouflage.
The Timberland® x Christopher Raeburn Future73 6-Inch Pull-On Boot looks to the future to protect the present. RAEBURN drew inspiration from parachute canopies – a cornerstone material of the RAEBURN brand – and implemented his resourceful ‘Raemade’ approach, which sees existing materials transformed into original designs and given a new lease of life.
“What we need to do as an industry is design garments that are mono fiber; that are designed for circularity and disassembly,” Raeburn says.
A Timberland collaborator for over five years, Raeburn’s capsule is an extension of the Raeburn Timberland Earthkeeper boots he designed for Spring 2023. Conceptually he envisaged what a Timberland mission to Mars in 2073 could look like, with utility as a means of survival. Raeburn’s research process led him to delve deep into both Timberland’s archive as well as his own to create a new hybridized aesthetic centering on protection, layering, and functionality. Outerwear cocoons and cushions the wearer as they move throughout the world, while angular seam work and engineered pockets emulate the pattern pieces of a parachute.
Reducing environmental impact has been integral to the RAEBURN brand since it was established in 2009 – long before the word ‘sustainability’ was common in the fashion lexicon. The Timberland® x RAEBURN Future73 capsule of gender-neutral ready-to-wear upholds these values; a Puffer Jacket design has a 100% regenerative organic cotton shell and recycled down filling; an Overshirt and matching Cargo Pants are cut from regenerative organic cotton and Knit Crew Neck and Tee also made with 100% regenerative cotton.
The Timberland® x Christopher Raeburn Future73 Collection ranges from $60-$550 and is available October 17th at timberland.com, Timberland® stores and select specialty retailers worldwide.
ABOUT TIMBERLAND
Timberland is a global outdoor and work inspired brand that’s on a mission to inspire and equip consumers to step outside, work hard together and move the world forward. Based in Stratham, New Hampshire, Timberland also has international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for The Original Timberland® Boot–the iconic yellow work boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England–Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel, and accessories. The brand is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture.
At the heart of the Timberland® brand is a vision for a greener and more equitable future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world.
Built for Adventure. Built for Impact. Built for the Bold.
To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN
London-based designer Christopher Raeburn (b.1982) is a graduate of Middlesex University and the prestigious Royal College of Art. He showed his debut collection under his eponymous brand during London Fashion Week in 2009, which featured a range of outerwear made from original military parachutes. Responsible design and integrity have been at the core of the ‘Raemade’ philosophy ever since. Raeburn is the recipient of several awards including a 2020 Fashion Award, Environment category.
ABOUT FUTURE73
Since the birth of The Original Timberland® Boot in 1973, the brand has been obsessed with pioneering new ideas and forging new frontiers. From its groundbreaking waterproof leather boot to its signature four rows of stitching, Timberland built boot culture.
With a passion for design and culture at its core, Timberland invited a team of future makers from around the world to reimagine its icon and legacy. Crafted through their own lens of bold innovation and catalyzing the icon into the future. The project is called Future73.
In partnership with Timberland’s design team, these six innovators—including Samuel Ross, Nina Chanel Abney, Edison Chen, Humberto Leon, Christopher Raeburn, and Suzanne Oude Hengel—have created a window into the past, reimagined for the worlds ahead. It’s our legacy, their vision.