Alexa Chung’s Liam Gallagher-Inspired Barbour Collection Is A “Waxy Dream”

Alexa Chung’s first memory of slipping on one of Barbour’s waxed jackets was to muck out her pony and hack down the Hampshire lanes as a child. “I was happy as Larry,” she tells Vogue. “I have so many memories wearing Barbour but the earliest are the most nostalgic and therefore special.”

From wholesome horsy pursuits to the muddy fields of Glastonbury, the trad, check-lined outerwear has been a constant in her wardrobe, weathering each festival before being stowed away in anticipation of next year’s headliners. This made the decision to collaborate with the British heritage brand a no-brainer. “It was an opportunity for me to explore how the Alexa Chung brand interprets an iconic and historic label that is woven into the British psyche,” the designer explains.

A research trip to Barbour HQ in South Shields was a “waxy dream” for De Beauvoir-based Chung. “I was let loose, like a kid in a candy store, into a room filled with every single Barbour piece through history,” she recalls. While deconstructing the formations, proportions and fabrications of the pieces, she learnt of the bizarre personal belongings the team had discovered in the pockets of jackets returned for mending. “They have found dead sparrows and old Mars bars in there!”

Chung’s first drop in the two-year, four-season deal with the 125-year-old label comprises a light blue raincoat riffing off Liam Gallagher’s style, and a patchwork jacket inspired by a retirement present she came across for a gentleman fond of the country. It will launch on June 9 – just in time for Glasto – with a second drop in August, which features a quilted green coat with corduroy collars and cuffs that sings of royals in Balmoral.

The key differences between the Barbours Chung has previously worn around Worthy Farm and those created by her own hand are the shorter sleeves, snugger silhouettes and exterior label detailing. “Look at any image of me in Barbour from yesteryear and you will see that I often turn up the sleeves of the jackets to show off the lining,” she explains. The bold logo for the collaboration was taken from the archive, and features a lighthouse motif and both brand names. Expect to see it on Pixie Geldof, Nick Grimshaw and Poppy Delevingne as they turn out to watch Kylie, The Cure and Stormzy during the last weekend of June.

The Barbour by Alexa Chung collection is available from June 9th, and is priced from £249 to £429, at Barbour.com/alexachung, Alexachung.com and selected stockists worldwide.