Barrie (company)

Barrie

Company type	Private
Industry	Textile, Fashion
Founded	1903
Founder	Walter Barrie, Robert Kersel
Headquarters	Hawick , Scotland, United Kingdom
Area served	22 countries
Key people	Augustin Dol-Maillot (artistic director)
Products	Cashmere apparel (pullovers, cardigans, skirts, dresses, trousers, overcoats, T-shirts, beanies, gloves)
Parent	Chanel (since 2012)
Website	www.barrie.co.uk

Barrie is a Scottish enterprise renowned for its cashmere apparel collections. Established in the Borders region in 1903, the company became part of Chanel in 2012. The "Barrie" label was officially introduced in 2014.

History

Walter Barrie and Robert Kersel founded a manufacturing facility in Hawick in 1903, specializing in premium stockings, including two-tone designs created by Gabrielle Chanel during the 1920s.

The firm was renamed Barrie Knitwear Ltd in 1962 and relocated to a modern factory in Burnfoot in 1975, with a strategic focus on cashmere production. Barrie has maintained longstanding partnerships with leading fashion houses such as Chanel.

Following Chanel’s acquisition in October 2012, Barrie debuted its inaugural self-branded collection for the autumn-winter season of 2014–2015. Design work is conducted at the House of Barrie's Paris studio, while manufacturing remains rooted in Hawick.

In 2014, Barrie inaugurated its first retail outlet in Paris, subsequently opening another store in London. Currently, the brand has a presence across 22 countries.

Scottish tradition

Knitting has played a vital role in the Scottish isles since the 1600s and had developed into a commercial industry by 1771. By 1845, most of Scotland’s weaving looms were situated within the Scottish Borders, with Hawick housing approximately half of them.

The Barrie brand

Since establishing its Paris-based design studio in 2014, Barrie produces four seasonal collections annually. Initial sketches are transferred to their Scottish workshop where precision knitting machines craft garments according to exact specifications.

The assortment includes pullovers, cardigans, skirts, dresses, trousers, overcoats, T-shirts, beanies, and gloves. Certain items showcase a distinctive 3D knitted thistle emblem that introduces innovative textures and color variations.

Buttons are meticulously handmade by craftsmen such as Desrues, Chanel’s traditional button supplier, frequently adorned with the Barrie logo rendered in subtle porcelain tones.

With Augustin Dol-Maillot appointed as artistic director, Barrie embarked on a fresh creative direction starting from its Spring-Summer 2019 collection.

Transmission of expertise

In 2012, Barrie established a training center aimed at cultivating technical proficiency among young workers to nurture talent and preserve specialized industry knowledge.

External links

• Official website