Matchesfashion to Pre-Launch Barbour x Chloé Collaboration
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The Barbour x Chloé long-awaited collaboration is ready to fly, with a winged jacket and coat that will available exclusively on Matchesfashion.
Chloé creative director Gabriela Hearst, who was born and raised in Uruguay, said her Barbour roots run deep. She grew up watching her father and stepfather – both gauchos, or South American cowboys – wear the waxed cotton jackets.
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“I have a special connection with Barbour. I had it all my life because growing up on a ranch in Uruguay, where we were very traditional kind of gauchos, there were two brands that my father and my stepfather would wear: Barbour and Pringle sweaters. And they were both Scottish and English. And the reason they would wear it is because they were utilitarian. And so anytime that we can mix utilitarian with beauty makes me very excited,” she told WWD.
Hearst said she grew up wearing Barbour coats as well, and the brand’s longevity is in line with her core values of sustainability. “They last forever. You can always re-wax them. The more they are used, the more beautiful they are for me. I actually like them with years of usage.”
Now the designer has collaborated with the British brand on the capsule that updates the countryside classics. It drops today and is available exclusively on Matchesfashion until Dec. 9, before landing in Chloé boutiques worldwide and selected Barbour retailers.
The Barbour x Chloé pieces were unveiled as part of the pre-Spring 23 collection earlier this year, with the Dany coat and Dustyn jacket featuring ruffled shoulders. The winged silhouette has become a house signature under Hearst. The designer noted the extended shoulder flourishes are a reference to The Winged Victory of Samothrace, one of the most famous Greek sculptures on display at the Louvre museum.
The Hadrine riding cape also features in the collection, with the capsule’s three outerwear pieces designed by Hearst and produced by Barbour.
Accessories are also on offer, with two sizes of the Edith bag, Mallo and Noua style boots, as well as a bucket hat and a scarf. Those are produced by Chloé using Barbour’s iconic waxed cotton textiles and incorporate the brand’s signature tartan checks.
The collection will also be on display as part of an installation at Matchesfashion’s London townhouse, 5 Carlos Place.
The exclusive collection is the one first since new chief executive officer Nick Beighton took over in July after years of executive shuffles. Since then, Matchesfashion has thrown several special events aimed at strengthening its position as a luxury destination, and it exclusively launched the Ben Cobbs and Tiger of Sweden collaboration in September.
In his new role, Beighton said he plans to build on Matchesfashion’s longstanding relationships with luxury brands, and he teased the Barbour x Chloé capsule in financial results released last month.
Exclusive collections and events are part of Beighton’s overall strategy to stengthen the site as a luxury power player.
Since Beighton came on board, Matchesfashion has thrown a variety of events, including a breakfast cooked by Michèle Lamy during Frieze London, and celebrity photographer Steven Klein celebrated the launch of his first book with Matchesfashion during Paris Fashion Week.
