Dame Margaret Barbour and Helen Barbour officially opened Tartan: The Barbour Way, a dedicated pop-up exhibition at 5–7 Carnaby Street, London, marking the beginning of a weekend-long celebration of the brand’s historic relationship with tartan.
The ribbon-cutting took place ahead of the public opening, which runs from Saturday 20 to Sunday 21 September. The event offers an immersive exploration of Barbour’s tartan heritage, highlighting its roots in Ayrshire and the development of its distinctive tartan pattern.
The exhibition provides visitors with a curated journey through archival materials that trace the brand’s use of tartan over time. Alongside this, a live loom artist is on-site to demonstrate traditional weaving techniques, offering a direct link to the craftsmanship at the heart of Barbour’s identity.
A key feature of the pop-up is a bar created in collaboration with Belmond, inspired by the Royal Scotsman train. The space is designed to evoke the experience of luxury travel through the Highlands, connecting the fabric of Barbour’s story with its Scottish heritage.
The exhibition not only delves into the history of tartan but also acknowledges the brand’s origins in Ayrshire, where the Barbour name has been traced back to the 13th century. This link is also central to Barbour’s Autumn/Winter 2025 campaign, launched earlier this week.
The AW25 campaign, titled “Ode to Ayrshire”, features Edie Campbell, Saffron Hocking, William Gao, Kit Butler, and Charlie Rowe. It was shot on location across Ayrshire’s cinematic landscapes, tying the campaign closely to the brand’s geographical and cultural roots. The visuals reflect Barbour’s long-standing relationship with the Scottish countryside, anchoring the collection in themes of continuity and legacy.
The Tartan: The Barbour Way exhibition is part of a broader strategy by Barbour to reaffirm its longstanding commitment to heritage, craft, and storytelling. The tartan currently used by the brand was introduced in 1998, designed in partnership with Kinloch Anderson, a specialist tartan house based in Edinburgh, and personally developed by Dame Margaret and Helen Barbour.
Speaking at the opening, representatives from Barbour underscored the significance of the exhibition: “This event celebrates not just the brand’s family legacy and craftsmanship but its resilience – proving that heritage and authenticity remain as relevant as ever.”
Located in the heart of London’s Soho district, the Carnaby Street venue provides a high-footfall location that offers both longtime Barbour customers and new audiences an opportunity to engage directly with the brand’s historical narrative.
Tickets are available here.
