Barrie

Barrie sits at the top of the cashmere market, and the case for it rests on its rare combination of Scottish heritage knitting and Chanel-level resources. Each collection is designed in the brand's Paris studio and produced in Hawick, Scotland, the historic heart of British cashmere. If you want a piece made by one of the houses that supplies the highest tier of fashion, Barrie is squarely worth considering as an investment knit rather than an everyday purchase.

Yes. Barrie was acquired by Chanel in October 2012, and the relationship runs deep, since Barrie had long manufactured cashmere for Chanel before the takeover. The brand's own label launched in 2014, two years after the acquisition, building on decades of expertise supplying the fashion industry's most demanding names.

Some Barrie clothing and accessories are recognizable thanks to an iconic thistle knitted in 3D. This relief technique allows bold stylistic innovation, enhancing the knitwear with simple or sophisticated textures using tone-on-tone or contrasting colors. The thistle, a Scottish emblem, ties the motif directly to the brand's Hawick roots.

Barrie cashmere is made in Hawick, Scotland, in the Scottish Borders, a region with a centuries-old knitting tradition. Designs originate in the House of Barrie's Paris studio, and the sketches are then sent to the Scottish workshop, where the knitting machines are programmed to the measurements and patterns of each garment. That split of Paris design and Scottish making is central to the brand.

Barrie was founded in 1903 in the Scottish Borders, when Walter Barrie and Robert Kersel opened a factory in Hawick specializing in high-quality stockings. The company later manufactured a two-tone design conceived by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1920s, an early link to the house that would eventually own it.

While knitwear is its core, Barrie offers a broad cashmere wardrobe including pullovers, cardigans, skirts, dresses, trousers, overcoats and T-shirts, as well as accessories such as beanies, gloves and more. The unifying thread is cashmere expertise applied across both clothing and accessories.

A classic cashmere pullover or cardigan is the natural entry point, since knitwear is what Barrie does best and where its Scottish craft is most apparent. Look for a piece featuring the signature 3D thistle if you want the most recognizable expression of the brand. A well-chosen knit is the kind of long-lasting cashmere that justifies the brand's standing.

Barrie's buttons are made by artisans such as the costume jeweler Desrues, Chanel's traditional supplier of buttons and accessories. They are decorated or painted by hand to feature the Barrie logo in tone-on-tone porcelain. It is a small detail that signals the level of craft and the Chanel connection behind the label.

Augustin Dol-Maillot was announced as Barrie's artistic director, opening a new chapter for the brand beginning with its Spring-Summer 2019 collection. The creative direction works alongside the Paris studio that designs the brand's four collections a year.

Barrie opened its first shop in Paris in 2014, followed by a second in London, and the brand is now active in 22 countries. Because this is high-end cashmere, buying through the brand or an established retailer is the best way to be sure of authenticity and to feel the quality of the knit in person before you commit.