The Ones To Watch: November
The onset of winter is upon us, so we’re turning to weatherproof outerwear and cosy essentials to fend off the elements. This month sees the arrival of two British legacies in the form of Barbour and Grenson, American heritage brand Woolrich, Swedish outerwear favourite STAND STUDIO and Craig Anderson’s latest athleisure adventure, Reigning Champ.
Barbour
Founded in 1894 by John Barbour, this family-owned brand has maintained its heritage status and rural aesthetic across five generations. Celebrating its 125th year, Barbour is still based in its hometown of Simonside, South Shields in the North East of the UK. Their classic wax cotton jackets - originally designed by John Barbour to keep the seamen at South Shields’ busy port warm and dry - are still hand crafted at the family’s local factory.
In recent years, this durable and weather resistant outerwear has become a fashion icon, beloved for its classic British aesthetic and authentic feel. Broadening into an all-round lifestyle brand, Barbour now caters to fashion, motorcycling and the great outdoors, always maintaining their classic jackets at their core.
Woolrich
From one heritage staple to another, Woolrich, known as the oldest outdoors brand in America, was founded in Pennsylvania in 1830. Upon moving from Liverpool in the UK to America, John Rich II set up his own wool mill, providing warm clothing for railroad workers and the armed forces.
To this day, the brand still operates from its original building, combining traditional practices with a focus on fabric innovation. Its outerwear, such as the iconic Arctic Parka, now features high-tech materials such as Gore-Tex, Thinsulate and Cordora to enhance the performance of the wool whilst maintaining the brand’s utilitarian DNA. Now working on a host of designer collaborations, this month will see the arrival of their latest partnership with Mastermind Japan, available exclusively at Browns.
Reiging Champ
Founded in 2007 by Craig Anderson, the designer behind wings+horns, this Vancouver-based brand marries Canadian craftsmanship with Japanese detailing. Anderson originally imported vintage American clothing to Japan before he started helping Japanese brands recreate the aesthetic themselves. Reigning Champ also develops its own signature fabrics and has become famous for its CYC fleece, now used by performance brands such as Arc’teryx.
Featuring a mix of t-shirts, hoodies and track pants, Reigning Champ nods to American athletic styles whilst also incorporating the refinement and simplicity of Japanese technology and aesthetics.
STAND STUDIO
With a rich family heritage in leather fashion design, Nellie Kamras started her outerwear brand STAND STUDIO in 2014. This Stockholm-based label focuses on seasonal staples with the essence of Scandi simplicity at the core. Using premium leather, suede and faux fur, these timeless coats and jackets are a wardrobe essential for the cooler months. Playing with bomber, parka and biker silhouettes, this season’s offering takes on a touch of military inspiration with faux shearling details.
Grenson
Founded in 1866 by William Green, the first Grenson shoes were produced in a loft above a Corn Merchants in Rushden, Northamptonshire. Following high demand, Green moved his factory to Green Yard where it became the first factory in the world to use the Goodyear Welted method of shoemaking. After Green’s death, his son registered the business as Grenson and the rest is history. These days, Grenson has established itself as a British institution for traditionally made shoes and boots, taking up to eight weeks to produce a single pair.
