In a time when weather patterns are becoming more volatile and unpredictable, fashion is evolving not just in form, but in function. Designed by London-based industrial design studio LAYER, in collaboration with sustainable fashion label RÆBURN, Shield is a revolutionary adaptive garment that meets the moment. It is a piece of outerwear that doesn’t just respond to climate extremes, it anticipates them, blending cutting-edge design with deep sustainability.
Crafted entirely from reclaimed and recycled materials, including deadstock parachute nylon, military surplus airbrake parachutes, reclaimed down, and recycled wadding, Shield is built to perform across a spectrum of environments. Each material was selected not only for its technical properties, but for its narrative, breathing new life into previously discarded resources and transforming them into a symbol of resilience.
In cold conditions, Shield functions as a protective shell, wrapping the wearer in insulated layers and a sculptural, oversized silhouette. The garment can be adjusted for length, while strategically placed baffles help regulate warmth. An exaggerated hood offers refuge against biting wind and driving rain, and when not in use, the entire piece compresses into a compact, easy-to-carry system, ready for travel or sudden changes in climate.
As temperatures rise, the garment transforms. Shield becomes a lightweight, breathable mid-layer, integrating discreet ventilation and a water-based cooling system to provide relief in extreme heat. Perhaps most notably, the outer shell reconfigures into a modular shelter, designed with secure fixings that allow multiple garments to connect, offering not just personal protection, but the possibility of collective refuge. It’s a poetic and functional gesture, one that speaks to the growing need for adaptability, connection, and community in the face of global instability.
“In a future where climate unpredictability becomes the norm, Shield stands as a symbol of human resilience and adaptive design,” explains Benjamin Hubert, founder of LAYER. “It blends fashion with technical ingenuity and sustainable craftsmanship to protect, empower, and endure.”
Shield is not simply clothing, it’s a statement on survival, innovation, and what fashion must become in a warming world. At the intersection of design, technology, and sustainability, it challenges conventional ideas of outerwear and offers a compelling vision of the garments we may come to depend on in the future.
