Barbour AW25: An Ode to Ayrshire and the Return of Tartan

Barbour is heading home. For Autumn/Winter 2025, the heritage British label plants itself firmly back in Ayrshire, the Scottish landscape where the Barbour story began, and builds an entire campaign around the idea of authenticity. It’s less about nostalgia and more about reconnecting to the roots of a brand that, despite its global reach, still belongs to the countryside.

The collection arrives under the title Ode to Ayrshire, and with it, Barbour places tartan at the centre of its menswear offering. In partnership with tartan specialists Kinloch Anderson, the campaign reframes Barbour’s Original and Authentic Tartans not as historical leftovers, but as contemporary codes. There’s an emphasis on how tartan has been reworked—tailored into outerwear, softened in shirting, and made to slot effortlessly into a modern wardrobe.

Menswear this season pivots on utility and refinement, a reminder that Barbour has always walked the line between function and fashion. The waxed jacket remains a cornerstone, but it’s been joined by technical outerwear layered with checks, quilted liners that nod to military practicality, and tailored pieces that look as comfortable in London as they do in Ayrshire’s windswept fields.

What makes this drop stand out is the way Barbour leans into storytelling. Tartan here isn’t simply decoration—it’s a signifier of heritage, a pattern that stretches back to the 13th century and is now reimagined for a contemporary audience. It underscores the shift we’re seeing across menswear: tradition not abandoned, but re-engineered for relevance.

The campaign itself, shot against sweeping Ayrshire landscapes, features a new generation of British talent. For menswear, Kit Butler, William Gao and Charlie Rowe lead the way. It’s a deliberate casting—faces that bridge fashion credibility and cultural weight, each bringing their own interpretation of how Barbour fits into their wardrobes.

Launching during London Fashion Week, the campaign will also be supported by Tartan: The Barbour Way, a pop-up exhibition opening September 18th. The show promises an immersive look at the craft behind the pieces, a physical space where the narrative of tartan and the Barbour name will be played out through design, fabric and heritage storytelling.

For AW25, Barbour is doing what it does best: making clothes that still work in the field but carry a weight of cultural significance. The wax, the tartan, the fit—it’s all part of a lineage, one that feels particularly timely as menswear continues to lean into authenticity.