In Conversation with Barrie’s Artistic Director Augustin Dol-Maillot
Rewriting the Rules of Cashmere
The House of Barrie, a distinguished British heritage brand, has been synonymous with luxurious cashmere since its founding in 1903. It’s no surprise that Barrie has supplied iconic fashion houses like Chanel with its exquisite cashmere before unveiling its own eponymous label in 2014. Each piece is meticulously crafted to work in harmony, becoming cherished staples that embody a timeless wardrobe.
Having previously worked at Chanel with both Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard, Barrie’s Artistic Director Augustin Dol-Maillot employs a creative process that is both rich and innovative. He draws on the history of fashion to blend shapes and influences with classic knitwear codes. For him, this vision transcends seasons, weaving a continuous narrative inspired by the stunning Scottish landscapes and Anglo-Saxon culture.
To get to know the artistic director behind Barrie, Lane Crawford sat down with Augustin Dol-Maillot to dive into his creative vision on rewriting the traditional rules of cashmere, the inspiration behind creating denim with knitted cashmere, as well as how collaborating with fashion visionaries like Sofia Coppola has played a crucial role in shaping the brand’s identity and methodology.
Read on for the full exclusive interview with
Barrie’s Artistic Director, Augustin Dol-Malliot
Image by Felix Dol-Maillot, courtesy of Barrie
Started off as a Scottish company specialising in the production of cashmere products, how did Barrie evolve into a fashion brand in 2014?
Barrie is first and foremost a cashmere manufacturer created in 1903 in Hawick, one of the last that is still in activity in Scotland today. It was acquired in 2012 by Chanel, with a goal to contribute to the preservation of a highly qualified and skilled local workforce, to the perpetuation of traditional craftsmanship, whilst also using the most modern technologies to ensure the future of Scottish knitwear.
The Barrie brand was launched in 2014 and provides Men and Women Collections with a distinct creative identity, supported through the factory’s own formidable spirit of innovation, using both traditional looms as well as ultra-modern Japanese machines.
What’s the inspiration behind creating denim with knitted cashmere?
Denim is timeless both for Barrie and the collective unconscious. Everybody has an emotional relation to their denim pieces; they are also associated with moments in culture and fashion that make them iconic and extremely versatile. A denim piece is something that you style and make your own.
By transporting it to the cashmere repertoire, we create a timeless association that never goes out of style with everlasting pieces that you keep for your whole life, in a version that’s more comfy as well as more luxurious. The Barrie Denim pieces are a cashmere and cotton mix, and entirely thought as trompe-l’oeil. Seams, pockets, buttons are there to respect the fit and spirit of a classic trucker jacket, jean, miniskirt or cutout shorts.
It is also a specialty for Barrie to make illusion pieces that make the most iconic fashion classics into cashmere (such as Oxford Shirt, Military Jacket, Bomber Jacket…)
Everybody has an emotional relation to their denim pieces; they are also associated with moments in culture and fashion that make them iconic and extremely versatile.
How does Barrie balance its heritage as a Scottish brand with its global appeal and reach?
I love the combination of great tradition and a very fast-moving vision of changing fashion.
Scotland is an all-time inspiration for me, it’s a land full of contrasts, in its landscapes, in its weather, in its moods. The personality of the motherland is felt all over the Barrie pieces, especially since so much hand comes in play in their making with about 40 different experts working on each piece.
The culture, tradition and history of Scotland are also great sources of inspiration, to which we pay subtle homage while providing collections that are always in line with the current trends.
It is also important for me to revisit the classic British vestiaire, which is never outdated and is a field for many modern interpretations. The texture and weight of knit cashmere is also a great challenge, for us to always renew the silhouette and offer total looks. For example, this led us to experiment tailoring with knit, which is something Barrie is unique for.
The personality of the motherland is felt all over the Barrie pieces, especially since so much hand comes in play in their making with about 40 different experts working on each piece.
The brand’s recent collaboration with Sofia Coppola is an interesting project, how did it come along?
Sofia Coppola has been a longtime friend of Barrie and has been wearing the brand well before we came to collaborate. The collaboration came quite naturally, Sofia was the perfect person. She has a true sense of fashion, but also a feeling for materials and details. She isn’t exuberant, her style is very on-point and precise, like the collection itself. We imagined it so it would be adapted to all occasions, a complete wardrobe which covers the most situations possible: evening, travel, brunch, breakfast… These are timeless, reassuring pieces that can be worn several days in a row or mixed with other garments. That was also Sofia’s intention, and I think that it reflects the way she sees clothes: she isn’t someone who buys one-off silhouettes, she has a more sentimental, long-term feeling for her wardrobe. As a result, the pieces are timeless and fit into everyday life, with an element of comfort. These are simple pieces in which you feel good, that don’t overtake your personality. They leave space for the person wearing them.
Image by Felix Dol-Maillot, courtesy of Barrie
What consumer trends have you observed that indicate a growing demand for luxury cashmere products, and how does Barrie respond to these trends?
The approach of Barrie is to provide the best quality product, made with a great concern for responsibility and sustainability, which is something the customer is increasingly looking into. This is expressed in our process of keeping operations in Scotland and working with a local expert workforce who has been in the industry for several generations, also training new generations. The durability of our products is also ensured by the choice of the best cashmere fibers, that make them last longer, and the use of natural river water and no detergents. This allows for the unique durability of our products, which can be passed on from one generation to the next, giving a deeper history and meaning to our products, beyond the joy of wearing them.
Image by Felix Dol-Maillot, courtesy of Barrie
Finally, how does Barrie approach innovation in its designs and product development, and what are some of the key factors driving creativity within the brand?
Our studio works closely with the factory, our creativity pushes the boundaries of technical possibilities, and the innovations feed our creativity. The Barrie factory, which has been active for more than a century in the Scottish borders, is extraordinarily active in making the savoir-faire sustain, while bringing new techniques, such as computer programming, or state-of-the-art knitting machines.
Shop the new Barrie capsule collection featuring the denim jacket style in their iconic cashmere textiles
