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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