This London Fashion Week, British heritage brand Barbour is weaving its story into the fabric of London Fashion Week with a unique exhibition pop-up on Carnaby Street named Tartan: The Barbour Way. Open to the public from Saturday to Sunday, the pop-up invites all attendees to delve into Barbour’s rich Scottish heritage and discover how the brand’s Ayrshire roots continue to shape its identity today.
Since 1894, when founder John Barbour opened the brand’s first shop, Barbour’s iconic tartan has become more than just a pattern; it’s a narrative of place, family, and craft. The tartan has been used from the beginning of Barbour’s craftsmanship to line their original oilskin coats; however, it wasn’t until the 1990s, when Vice Chairman Helen Barbour delved into her family’s roots, that she discovered Barbour did not have an exclusive tartan. She revealed that:
“Up until 1998, we did not have our own exclusive Barbour tartans. Working with tartan specialists Kinloch Anderson, it was agreed that the tartan “sett” for Barbour should be based on the Ayrshire District tartan as the Barbour family name originated from Ayrshire.”
In honour of this, the exhibition transports its attendees to Ayrshire through immersive storytelling from the British countryside, drawing on the colours and textures that inspired the brand’s renowned Tartan weave.
The pop-up is filled with Barbour-branded touch points, from branded bar stools to Barbour doormats, leaving no stone unturned in terms of brand awareness. The exhibition also leans into the sensory experience of the Scottish landscape, gifting floral arrangements from Scottish Highlands floral studio, Wild Gorse, further reinforcing the natural Scottish landscape that anchors Barbour’s heritage story.
The exhibition features a bespoke bar experience for consumers to enjoy while they explore the tartan space in collaboration with Belmond. The bar is inspired by the Royal Scotsman, a Belmond train which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The cocktails are curated by the train’s expert mixologist, featuring nods to Scotland yet again, with cocktails such as a Paloma with an Irn Bru twist.
Further adding to the sensory experience of this pop-up, Barbour has also recruited a live loom artist to the site to showcase the live process and artistry behind the weaving of the iconic Barbour tartan, adding a performance to the pop-up.
Barbour’s pop-up also showcases their long-championed circularity through initiatives such as Wax for Life and Re-Loved, which give new life to worn Barbour garments by reworking them for endless wear. The Tartan: The Barbour Way pop-up echoes this philosophy by showcasing these rewoven contemporary pieces outright while also positioning their heritage as something that is continually rewoven for the next generation.
Paul Wilkinson, Group Deputy Managing Director, spoke on the brand’s heritage and future, stating:
“Our unique and exclusive tartans represent everything that is special about the Barbour brand. The fact that we are a fifth-generation family-owned business and we honour our family values. However this isn’t just about our past this is also about our future, re-imagining the application of our original and authentic Tartans to make them relevant for today.”
By inviting the public to step inside its story, Barbour shows how brands can transform heritage into live experiences that engage, educate and inspire, staying true to their heritage roots while remaining relevant amongst the contemporary fashion landscape.
Sign up and book a slot: https://www.barbour.com/gb/tartan.html
