British Vogue - 09.2019

BRITISH STYLE is built on principles that are defined

by icons. So, what happens when two come together? This

season, British heritage and lifestyle brand Barbour has united

with the London fashion label Alexa Chung – established in

2016 – to create a collection that manifests the collision of

eccentricity and creativity on which our national style thrives.

Alexa – presenter, Vogue contributing editor and now London

Fashion Week designer – has indisputably shaped our

contemporary wardrobe, both at home and overseas. Her

captivating knack for mixing vintage prints and silhouettes in

a modern manner has inspired others to follow suit.

Barbour – the lifestyle brand beloved of the royal family and

Glastonbury-goers alike, which celebrates its 125th anniversary

this year – makes for a perfect partner for Alexa’s brand. When

asked to think of a signature Alexa Chung look, memories

immediately rush to mind of her wading through the puddles

of music festivals dressed in an oversized Barbour jacket. Add

in the years she spent in countryside pursuits and riding ponies,

and it isn’t much of an exaggeration to say she has lived her

life in Barbour. As Alexa says: “The smell of the wax alone

makes me feel like I’m home. For me Barbour has been part

of my childhood, my coming of age and I am extraordinarily

proud that it is now part of my future.”

This seven-piece collection began with visits to the Barbour

archive. Alexa visited the factory in South Shields and delved

into the designs of the past, working with the team to keep

Barbour’s expertise in outerwear at the forefront but with her

new design ideas added in.

The Alexa Chung collection doesn’t stray too far from the

long-loved pieces – classic country ingredients including

quilting, contrast collars and all-weather waxed cotton remain

very much to the fore. Instead, adjustments have been made

The best

of British

When two fashion stalwarts unite in form

and function, the best of British is even

more covetable – as the new collaboration between

Barbour and Alexa Chung proves

To say

Alexa Chung

has lived

her life in

Barbour isn’t

much of an

exaggeration

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