SCORCH
DESIGNED TO PROTECT
MENSWEAR
SCORCH
SCORCH evolved RÆBURN's exploration of urban protection, taking the specialist materials and functional intelligence of firefighting equipment and translating them into a refined menswear collection.
At its heart was Nomex; a highly resilient fire-resistant material originally engineered for extreme environments. Rather than imitating the aesthetic of protective clothing, RÆBURN worked directly with the real thing.
Original firefighters' trousers were deconstructed and RÆMADE into limited-edition outerwear, retaining traces of their previous function through cuff fastenings, shoulder details, reflective trims and practical pocket systems. The hero parka was constructed entirely from original Nomex fire trousers, while bombers and biker jackets further transformed the material through the RÆBURN studio. Deadstock Nomex was also introduced into tailoring, extending the experiment into a more unexpected context.
Alongside RÆMADE, the wider collection balanced this radical material proposition with British wool from West Yorkshire mills, recycled lightweight insulation and an expanding accessories offer. It demonstrated an evolving RÆBURN approach: different material systems working together, each selected for their inherent qualities, provenance and purpose.
Working with filmmaker Ryan Hopkinson, RÆBURN created a provocative film centred on a professional stuntman wearing the RÆMADE Nomex parka. Rather than relying on visual effects, the garment was placed directly into the environment its original material had been engineered to withstand: the wearer was set alight for real.
The result transformed a technical material claim into a visceral creative statement. Product, performance and film came together to demonstrate the functionality of the original items.
SCORCH also reflected something broader happening as RÆBURN continued to grow. Collaboration was becoming an increasingly important part of the creative process, bringing photographers, filmmakers, performers and other creative voices into the RÆBURN world. Each offered a different perspective and a different way to interpret the ideas behind the collections.
For RÆBURN, this became an important way of working: build a strong central idea, then invite different creative perspectives to challenge it, interpret it and bring it to life in ways the studio might never reach alone.
With SCORCH, that approach resulted in something deliberately direct and uncompromising. It was protection, reappropriated, and put to the test.
