Barbour’s storied factory in South Shields is located over 1,000 miles away from Ganni’s HQ in Copenhagen. Distance isn’t the only thing that separates the brands: Barbour was founded in 1894 and Ganni in the Millennium, meaning they have contrasting histories and demographics. Yet, despite their differences, they’ve found common ground via collaboration, the latest of which (available now) marks their third creative union.
“The beauty is really in the dance between British and Danish heritage, and I love the visual language we’ve built together over time,” Ganni’s creative director, Ditte Reffstrup, tells Vogue of the brands’ evolving relationship. “It’s about continuing the balance between these worlds while bringing new energy to iconic styles.”
The “iconic styles” Ditte refers to are housed in the Barbour archive, which has been the starting point for each collection she has worked on. Together with Nicola Brown, director of womenswear at Barbour, the pair have explored “not only the physical silhouettes of the jackets, but the stories that sit alongside the jackets in our archive and feedback we get directly from our customers”, as Nicola explains.
This season sees the reimagining of a trench, duffle and parka – and a new anorak silhouette, based on the Spey jacket – designed to work for “any weather”, rendered in Barbour’s signature waxed cotton fabrication, with the now-recognisable bright green and black Ganni X Barbour logo patch emblazoned on the chest.
Contemporary details like corduroy Peter Pan collars, elongated arms, Ganni’s trademark leopard print and utilitarian hardware (a belt with multiple eyelets features on the trench), are fused with heritage Barbour tartans to create new silhouettes for a modern customer. Barbour’s Re-Loved programme–which encourages people to send their preloved pieces to the factory for repair and re-waxing–inspired the patches and pockets seen on some of the designs.
“It signifies the growing friendship of the two brands and the fun we have designing these collections,” Nicola says of the new release. “It’s a blend of practicality and fun, a trademark of both brands, but in different ways,” surmises Ditte. And with the Re-Loved initiative, both women hope that customers who invest in the collection will be able to cherish their pieces – and perhaps even pass down to future generations.
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