Barbour Dept. B: AW13
We at FashionBeans like to think that every heritage brand has a dark and secret past. A past that includes a secret team constructing products so forward thinking, so advanced and so cunningly courageous that when the time is right, they will burst onto the scene and change the world of menswear for good. We may just be getting a glimpse of such a department in the form of Barbour’s Dept. B. Dept. B, housed in the depths of Barbour’s South Shields Factory, used to specialise in customisation. It was a department that would cater to the customer’s individual needs and desires – whether it be a hidden trim, an unusual stud or a bottle opener masquerading as a zipper. No detail was considered too abstract or ‘out there’, and no task was too tiresome for Barbour’s fastidious clientèle. Inspiring Barbour’s new men’s heritage collection for AW13, these former individual requests are being celebrated in the brand’s most intricate collection to date: Dept. B. The debut Dept. B range sees Barbour staples given a subtle yet meaningful makeover. The olive Hunnam wax jacket is customised through its shorter length and darker composite black wax cotton; the Cassell wax jacket features a hidden stowaway hood and a distinctive curved contrasting front placket; whilst the Pym Zip Thru, Dart Tee and Hatch Polo have all been customised via bursts of contrasting colours, textures and trims – the likes of which have rarely been seen from the brand before. The collection really does celebrate the attention to detail and sense of exclusivity that some people look for in their clothing. Ian Bergin, Head of Menswear at Barbour, remarks that “there are many jackets in Barbour’s archive that feature unusual customisations, all of which tell their own story about the wearer of the jacket and offer interesting clues about their life.” He goes on to say that the collection celebrates the design of clothes “for a modern man who appreciates the thought and meaning behind the hidden technical details that can be found in a garment.” Even the most subtle of customisations can be found within the latest collection. Barbour’s Commander Jacket, as worn in the latest James Bond blockbuster, Skyfall, references its muse in the product code that includes the famous 007 numbering in its composition. FashionBeans might not be divulging state secrets through the coverage of Barbour’s latest AW13 collection, but you can be rest assured that there are plenty more customised items in the depths of the brands archives that have yet to make it into the public domain. Shop the full range now at Barbour.com.
Barbour – Dept. B AW13 Collection
