Barbour autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFWM

At the lavish Lancaster House in St James’s Park, viewers were invited to take a walk down memory lane, back to 1894, when Barbour started a small business supplying oilskins to mariners. Reaching an important milestone and celebrating 125 years of business, the label takes pride in maintaining the same high-quality fabrics, durability and attention to detail which John Barbour brought to South Shields back in the 19^th Century.

The AW19 collection is composed of five re-engineered Barbour icon garments from all five generations of the family that kept the business going, starting with the Haydon waxed cotton jacket. This was first introduced in 1910 with the purpose of clothing and protecting the mariners of the port area. Today, this was styled with chestnut corduroy trousers and navy cable knit jumpers with leather boots, resulting in a classic-chic outfit.

The next milestone takes us to the 60s, when John Barbour reinvented country-wear by introducing the lightweight parka jacket, Durham. Later in 1979, the birth of the quilted jacket takes place, which has remained a best-seller ever since, featuring the distinctive diamond shape quilting, spacious pockets and corduroy collar.

The Barbour narrative continues by introducing Barbour International, under which the motorcycle suit was invented specifically for the International Six Day Trials, with a contemporary female version that captured viewers’ attention the most thanks to its diamond quilted pattern, golden details, waist belt and shearling collar.

Ending the presentation on a modern note, Barbour presented its latest iconic garment, the Beacon Sports jacket, worn by actor Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall in 2012. The jacket was inspired by a past collaboration with the Japanese designer Tokihito Yoshida, remaining a staple piece of the Barbour narrative.

Xenia Gherzan
Photos: Kimberley Larmouth