For those in the niche, niche world of crossover Japanese fashion And Wander is a name that is bound to elicit more than a few knowing smiles. Co-founded by Issey Miyake veterans Keita Ikeuchi and Mihiko Mori, this Japanese indie is part of a burgeoning wave of design houses (including such names as White Mountaineering and Snow Peak) that champion an ‘urban fieldwear’ aesthetic.
The emphasis is on functional, weather-proof clothing one could tackle the trails in; that transitions seamlessly into any number of metropolitan settings – parklands, cafes, farmers’ markets and so forth. That uncannily specific (yet fully realised) brief has made And Wander a natural bedfellow for Barbour – the British outerwear brand that has built a legacy with designs like the ‘Powell’ and ‘Bedale’.
Together, both labels have collaborated on a number of releases for the Japanese domestic market over the years, but to close out 2022, the latest Barbour x And Wander collection will be made available (for the very first time) to international shoppers for the very first time – courtesy of Barbour’s online store.
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Highlights from the collection include the brands’ collaborative take on the iconic Bedale, reimagined here as a ‘3L’ (i.e. three-layer) design combining Barbour’s recognisable design tropes with Japanese performance fabric. The jacket incorporates a fully detachable storm hood and – in a modern twist – zippers on the outer shell welded over with 3M tape: a reflective adhesive that expresses And Wander’s obsession with outdoor clothing that makes sense once you return into the city.
Additionally, Barbour encouraged its Japanese co-pilots to take the lead on a number of pieces, including a supremely cosy looking Polartec fleece constructed with bound seams and oversized pockets – perfect for a late arvo stroll through urban parkland. Accessories like the carabiner-style shoulder pouch are equally at home in city environs: decorated in Barbour’s signature mossy olive colours, but sufficiently distinct from the brand’s mainline offering.
You can check out the full range of Barbour x And Wander releases at the link below.
