Timberland appoints British designer Christopher Raeburn as first-ever creative director

Timberland engages Christopher Raeburn. The footwear company, owned by VF Corporation, has appointed the British designer as its first-ever creative director. He will supervise and lead all the brand design departments.

Raeburn, who has become popular by designing garments with sustainable materials, already teamed up with Timberland for a capsule collection launched in early September. “Christopher is recognized throughout the world for his responsible and intelligent design ethics and respect for the environment, and we want to take advantage of that,” said Jim Pisani, brand president.

Raeburn’s appointment comes at a time when VF Corporation is reorganizing its brand portfolio. The Greensboro-based group has sold some of its labels to focus on highly-profitable businesses such as Vans, Timberland or The North Face. In fact, the group separated its denim business (Wrangler and Lee) through a spin-off.

VF Corporation ended fiscal 2017 with sales of 11.7 billion dollars (9.4 billion euros), 7% more. In contrast, the company’s profit experienced a sharp decline, falling 43%, to 614.9 million dollars (493 million euros).