Barbour Celebrates 130 Years of Heritage and Innovation at Intimate Pitti Uomo Event
Check out what went down.
As Barbour ushers in its 130th anniversary, the British lifestyle label kicked off 2024 at Pitti Uomo, introducing its new season Heritage+ collection.
Taking to its Florence flagship store, Barbour held an intimate party welcoming fans of the brand, fashion figures, and menswear enthusiasts to celebrate its rich legacy. Hypebeast also held a panel talk exploring the power of heritage, what it means to a contemporary consumer, and how Barbour channels its century-long history through its latest collections.
Set against the backdrop of five iconic jackets from its archive, the conversation brought together the brand’s director of menswear Ian Bergin, as well as London-based fashion commentators Odunayo Ojo and David Hellqvist. Speaking from the perspective of evolving the brand’s heritage, Bergin referenced the archive pieces’ stand-out features, the core principles Barbour was founded on, and how both hold significance today. “All heritage brands start with a need that they are looking to help solve for consumers,” he said. Given the brand was founded 130 years ago for working people, garments had to be built to last, therefore, integrity is an important factor in its approach to design, and today “the jackets do not need to be reinvented, rather reimagined with key details for a new customer.”
Ojo, on the other hand, gave insights into Barbour’s continued relevance through its acclaimed collaborations with new-gen brands whilst Hellqvist delved into where the future of heritage fashion is going and how “heritage isn’t enough, you have to keep evolving” which he notes Barbour does well.
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Barbour
Barbour
Barbour
Barbour
Barbour
As visitors took in the archival jackets on display — some over 100 years old — people also got the opportunity to have an early look at the new season Heritage+ collection. Comprised of a line-up of outerwear, the brand’s archetypal Wax Jacket is redesigned with an oversized fit and an array of adjustable features. Similarly, the JBS (John Barbour & Sons) Flight Casual jacket sees a modernization of the heritage Flight Bomber with a baggier silhouette and alternative olive and navy colorways. The range is rounded off with the Denby Casual, made from a recycled nylon outer and swatches of corduroy that adopts the most relaxed look, finished with low bellow pockets.
Designed to be styled with the outerwear pieces, Barbour also drops a selection of playful mid-layers. A stand-out piece is the Lisle Safari Shirt which recreates features from traditional safari shirts with new lightweight fabrics. Other mid-layers arriving in the SS24 range include the Faulkner Overshirt, Modified Transport Vest, and Spey Fishing Vest which all pay homage to key archive pieces.
Check out the visuals from Barbour’s Pitti Uomo event, shot by Ben Hughes, in the gallery above. For more information on the new Heritage+ collection, visit the brand’s website.
