The Special Recognition Award recognises the outstanding contribution to the fashion industry and the enduring commitment to British excellence and innovation. Dame Margaret was appointed to the Board of Directors of J Barbour & Sons in 1968 following the sudden death of her husband John Barbour. In 1973, she became Chairman and has led the company for over 50 years through some of its most exciting times, meeting the needs of customers around the world through growth and new product innovation. In the 1980s, she designed the three jackets that made Barbour a household name, the Bedale, the Beaufort and the Border. Today, they remain in the range and remain bestsellers. In everything the company has done, Dame Margaret has always ensured that Barbour remains true to John Barbour’s founding principles: quality, durability, attention to detail and fitness for purpose.
Dame Margaret Barbour will receive a special recognition award at TFA 2024. Recognised for her leadership of J Barbour & Sons and her commitment to British excellence, Barbour has innovated the brand and championed sustainability. The awards, organised by BFC, are a key fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and honour excellence and creativity in fashion.
Throughout her career, Dame Margaret has used her position and platform to consistently give back to the community, launching multiple charitable initiatives. In 1988, Dame Margaret founded The Barbour Trust, now called the Foundation to support important charities and causes, primarily in the North East of England. During the pandemic, she handed over the factory in South Shields to manufacture PPE for North East NHS Trusts to help the fight against COVID-19. She has continued to innovate the brand through industry-leading partnerships with Erdem, Ganni and Gucci Continuum. She is also a fierce advocate for more sustainable fashion, implementing circular practices across the brand under the umbrella name, Wax for Life, offering re-waxing and repairs and extending the life of waxed jackets through Barbour Re-Loved. For Autumn Winter 24, she has overseen the launch of Quilt for Life, a new UK service to repair and extend the life of quilted jackets, BFC said in a press release.
“I am absolutely thrilled to receive this special recognition from the BFC and to be honoured in this way at the Fashion Awards. Barbour means so much to me – I took over the business in the most difficult of circumstances and as we celebrate our 130th anniversary,He “This year, as we celebrate our anniversary, I think my late husband John would be very proud of how far the company has come and what I have achieved to build Barbour into the recognised global lifestyle brand it is today. However, this award would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of my entire management team and staff who have contributed so much to our success,” Dame Margaret Barbour DBE, DL, Chairman of J Barbour & Sons Ltdsaying.
“We are delighted to honour Dame Margaret Barbour with a special recognition award for her outstanding contributions to the fashion industry and her continued commitment to British excellence and innovation over the brand’s 130 years.He Throughout her illustrious career, Dame Margaret has championed creativity and positioned Barbour as a cultural leader, whilst always remaining true to the brand’s renowned craftsmanship and maintaining a clear focus on sustainability and giving back through charitable initiatives. We look forward to celebrating with her in December.” Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Councilsaying.
The Fashion Awards 2024 presented by Pandora brings together a global community in London, the cradle of creativity in fashion, to champion change-makers, celebrate excellence in creativity and support the next generation of creative talent. The event is the BFC Foundation’s flagship fundraising event, supporting the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on education, grantmaking and business mentoring.
Fibre2Fashion (RR) Press Desk
