Barrie Cashmeres Intertwine Modernity and Legendary Savoir-Faire

Artisanal workmanship assisted by ancestral and high-tech machines are what allow Barrie to perfectly master various weaving techniques. More than a dozen operations are needed for the conception of a hand-made prototype. The animal fiber used comes from goats of the plains of Mongolia and China; this same fiber is then delicately examined before taking off for Scotland where it will be woven, dyed, and rinsed with the waters of the river Tweed. Afterwards there are more than 40 steps of artisanal competency and ancestral savoir-faire that all add up to producing a supple, silky, and high quality cashmere.

The Scottish manufacturer counts the most prestigious couture houses among its clientele: Desrues, Lesage, Lemarié, Massaro, or Maison Michel. Barrie has also been behind Chanel’s mythic two-tone cardigans for more than 25 years. Despite this, Barrie still found itself losing steam a few years ago and came close to closing down for good. But a certain camellia-bearing brand refused to allow this institution’s centennial heritage to be extinguished. Without hesitating, Chanel bought up the company, reaffirming its attachment to expertise and “métiers d’art”. This acquisition assured the preservation of a strong identity in Scottish savoir-faire; the buy-out was a success, and the legendary producer became a separate brand in its own right.

Odie Massuger, in charge of knits with Chanel and creative director for Barrie, still manages to overturn the classic and institutional codes of Scottish cashmere. With audacity and subtlety, she’s able to modernize long knit cardigans and sweater dresses through a combination of motifs that take on architectural movements like the “Scottish baronial style” of Edward VII of Scotland. The artisanal method of “Jacquard intarsia” is also used to create wide strips of color or vertical stripes on oversized pieces that go by the names of bucolic scenery. “The Barrie woman is a woman who dares. She knows how to perfectly pair one of the brand’s pieces with the accessory or the pair of shoes that will put a ‘twist’ in her outfit.” – Odile Massuger. No doubt about it, the “British cashmere” dynasty isn’t about to unravel just yet!