Barbour Brings Tartan Reimagined to London Fashion Week

Barbour has returned to the official British Fashion Council London Fashion Week schedule, marking the occasion with Tartan Reimagined: The Barbour Way at Saatchi Gallery.

Rather than staging a conventional runway, the 130-year-old British brand has turned the gallery into an exploration of its Scottish heritage, AW26 collection and the role of tartan in contemporary menswear. The exhibition runs through a series of conceptual spaces covering Barbour’s history, design and manufacturing.

At its centre is tartan, a design code embedded in Barbour since founder John Barbour incorporated it into the brand’s linings. For AW26, that heritage is being pushed into new territory through updated patterns, colour palettes and applications across shirts, knitwear, jackets and accessories.

The exhibition also features the winning designs from the Barbour x British Fashion Council Tartan Reimaginedcompetition, alongside pieces from Barbour Re-Loved. A working recreation of the brand’s South Shields factory demonstrates repairing, rewaxing and remaking techniques, putting craftsmanship rather than nostalgia at the centre of the presentation.

Dame Margaret Barbour and Helen Barbour officially opened the exhibition with Clara Mercer of the British Fashion Council. Sienna Miller, Lennon Gallagher, Saffron Hocking, Pixie Geldof, Dermot O’Leary, Laura Whitmore and others attended, with guests interpreting Barbour through their own wardrobes.

For menswear, the message is clear: Barbour’s heritage is no longer confined to the waxed jacket. AW26 expands its tartan language across the wardrobe, while the brand’s enduring codes remain firmly intact.

Tartan Reimagined: The Barbour Way is open at Saatchi Gallery today, Saturday 19 September, until 6pm.