All because Barbour loves Yorkshire mill Moons - and Paul Smith, Arket and Farm Rio
Barbour’s autumn/winter 2025 collections feature Yorkshire fabrics and impressive new collaborations with Paul Smith, Arket, Farm Rio and Kaptain Sunshine. Yorkshire Post Fashion Editor Stephanie Smith reports.
Yorkshire tweed takes centre stage in fashion from runway to high street this autumn/winter, and is the bedrock of the new Barbour AW25 collections, with cloth woven in Yorkshire bringing fresh designs to life and reminding us all of the timeless versatility of this most British of fabrics.
Weaver Abraham Moon & Sons, based in Guiseley, makes the cloth for jackets, coats and more that feature in Barbour’s latest countrywear collections, celebrating a long-established relationship between two great British companies who between them boast a heritage of almost 320 years.
Moons was founded in 1837, the year in which Queen Victoria came to the throne, when Abraham Moon began supplying West Yorkshire home weavers with yarn and then collecting their finished pieces. In 1868, he built a three-storey mill close to his home in Guiseley. But Abraham died in a freak horse-and-carriage accident in 1877, and the mill burned to the ground in 1902. When Abraham’s son, Isaac, rebuilt it, it became fully vertical, meaning that each part of the fabric-making process, from dyeing through blending, carding, spinning and weaving to finishing, takes place on one site.
In 1920 the Moon family sold their shares to Charles H Walsh, designer and mill manager. The current chairman is John Walsh, the fourth generation of the Walsh family. Today Moons is one of the last remaining vertical woollen mills in the UK. Earlier this year Billie Eilish wore a baseball cap made from Moon's cloth at the Grammy Awards.
Meanwhile, Barbour was founded in 1894 when John Barbour established himself in the port of South Shields as a supplier of oilskins to fishermen and sailors. Today it is a fifth-generation family-owned brand selling in more than 55 countries worldwide.
For its latest Countrywear collection, Barbour is drawing on its heritage, rooted in the rhythms of rural life, using Moons tweeds to create sharp new shapes that demonstrate how the heritage of both brands continues to evolve with fashion and the changing world.
Barbour has released several new collaborations for this autumn. The Paul Smith Loves Barbour range is another collab celebrating British heritage, inspired by the nostalgic charm of country fairs.
It sees the Barbour Bedale jacket reimagined with striped patchwork, Friesian cow motifs, patchwork constructions, enamel pin badges and waxed cotton in various shades. Plus there is chunky knitwear, graphic tees, accessories and more in the 33-piece range.
Ian Bergin, director of Menswear, Accessories and Footwear at J Barbour & Sons, sats that Paul Smith stands for “beautiful use of colour, beautiful attention to detail, a certain playfulness”, as well as its British roots.
Paul Smith’s signature can be seen in new shades and details including a trademark multicolor stripe down the inner placket and a cool cow print lining, and there are new colours in the waxes including grape, dark grey, and a midnight indigo blue.
Customisation is another aspect, with detachable hoods so colours can be mixed and matched, plus animal badges from parrots to rabbits and cows.
Another AW25 collaboration sees Barbour team up with Swedish high street fashion brand Arket, known for its Scandi minimalism and quality at mid-market prices.
The campaign imagery was shot on the Swedish island of Gotland and features the people who live there, reflecting a joyful message of embracing golden hour on a winter’s day.
Barbour says that the collection offers autumn and winter pieces that celebrate (rather than commiserate) the British and Scandinavian winters.
Barbour’s classic wax jackets have been reimagined with a Nordic eye by Ian Bergin of Barbour, and Ella Soccorsi of Arket, with added utilitarian touches. There is also a padded jacket with a blue and green tartan print and accessories, and a wax bandana.
Covering all climates, Barbour has also teamed up with Brazilian womenswear brand Farm Rio, blending British heritage craftsmanship with bold prints and an upbeat carnival sensibility on a range that offers outerwear, ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories - bringing an unexpectedly striking and fresh approach to outdoor and countrywear.
The campaign for this was shot in the Cotswolds with British model Imogen Waterhouse, with imagery that, as Barbour says, “sets the scene for a dreamlike meeting of worlds”.
The collection also introduces three exclusive prints, blending Farm Rio’s signature botanical motifs with Barbour’s heritage family tartans.
There’s a pink tartan print with embroidered pineapple embellishments, and a tropical print which updates a classic scarf design with intricate borders and details, including a Brazilian jaguar and pineapple crown.
Nicola Brown, Barbour's director of Womenswear, says: “This is a collaboration in every sense of the word, with the most-loved features that encapsulate the spirit of each brand fused together to create a full collection with irresistible character.”
Katia Barros, Farm Rio's co-founder and creative director, adds: “The collection beautifully balances British heritage, evident in classic silhouettes and timeless patterns, with the wild beauty of Brazil, expressed through bold colour combinations, spirited motifs and complementary details.
"We believe the final product beautifully captures and translates the spirit of both brands, telling a story of tropical romance.”
For all Barbour AW25 collaborations and its Countrywear collections, see barbour.com.