GREAT SCOTS: Scotland may have seen the birth of Barrie and Mackintosh but that’s not the only reason why a collaboration sprang between the two brands.
“At first, I had preconceptions around the association of our two universes but I discovered they had more in common than just Scotland,” admitted Barrie’s artistic director Augustin Dol-Maillot.
To wit, each has become a master of rather different materials. For the knitwear specialist, it’s cashmere in all its shapes while waxed cotton has been the foundation of the outerwear brand’s wares for almost two centuries.
“It was essential that our identities not get absorbed into each other but that they [form] a dialogue and reinterpret themselves,” he added.
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For the outerwear specialist, the aim was “to work with Augustin [Dol-Maillot] to create a refined, unisex wardrobe that anyone could make their own, with designs that stand the test of time and reflect centuries of expertise,” it said in a statement.
Cue 10 styles and 24 references overall such as the long waxed-cotton Mackintosh coat, here lined with pleated wool-cashmere developed for the collaboration; or a sleeveless vest with generous pockets that revisits one of the knitwear specialist’s staples, the hardy outerwear-appropriate cotton finessing its soft volumes into sharply defined angles.
There’s also a short peacoat with a built-in contrasting knit vest, cashmere-wool separates such as seamless knit trousers and a handful of accessories. The color palette is all earthy tones with a dash of petal pink.
Metal or porcelain buttons stamped with St. Andrew’s Cross, the national flag of Scotland, are used throughout as a reminder of the brands’ shared origins.
Priced 195 euros for a neck warmer and up to 3,600 euros for the peacoat, the Barrie x Mackintosh collaboration will be sold from Sep. 25 at Barrie stores and on its e-commerce site as well as selected retail locations worldwide.
