These days most brands feel disposable, following the algorithmic flow of microtrends, designed to momentarily occupy the public consciousness until it inevitably sways in a different direction. Somewhere in this mess—or perhaps outside of it entirely—are a select few brands that feel eternal. Timeless classics that will always be in fashion, designed to be cherished, rather than discarded. As such, you’d be hard pressed to find a collaboration that feels as synergistic as two cultural cornerstones—Levi’s and Barbour—coming together to create the ultimate legacy capsule. With the help of i-D, the collaboration’s launch party is a celebration of partnership across the Atlantic, the best of the Brits and America.
The evening feels like a typical October night—there’s a chill in the air and much of the city is getting their rest knowing Halloweekend is warming up—until the turn is made onto Chinatown’s Bayard street. Outside of the party, there’s masses of people, some waiting for their chance to come inside, others mingling on a cigarette break. Through the door, the music is pulsing and conversations are reverberating from the many bodies packed like sardines. The bar itself feels like a cabin, a home with history. The landscapes painted along the walls and the swinging saloon doors feel both frozen in time, and timeless. It’s a space that is exactly what it needs to be, a cozy and casual refuge from the elements, a gem for those lucky enough to find it.
In a city with no shortage of activity, places to go and people to see, it’s surprisingly easy to see the party’s magnetic pull to the lucky few inside and the hopefuls outside alike—it’s simple yet scintillating, sought after without being stuffy. The first DJ of the night plays music catering to all audiences, offering a little something for everyone whether they be fans of Michael Jackson, Fontaines D.C., or, as one editor puts it, the soundtrack of HBO’s Industry. As the night goes on, the second DJ steps into the booth and the synth begins. The entire night is devoted to the classics. It’s a no-frills and no-more-than-it-needs-to-be affair. There’s no drinks with branded names, just a menu with wine, beer, and margaritas.
The crowd feels different from a typical fashion event, an uptown-downtown It-mix that only this trifecta could bring. British and American classics colliding as menswear figureheads like GQ’s Sam Hine, Alexander Roth, Simon Goldman, and Throwing Fits’ James Harris, and brand loyalists of Levi’s, Barbour, and i-D alike meet in close quarters. The allure of each brand manifests in a guest list and atmosphere driven by a love of the game–the game in question being a balance that lies somewhere between the glitterati and grit. Both are in the business of everlasting cool, devoted to cutting through the noise and offering style without compromising what’s real.
Other fashion functions would bring clothing for spectacle and as sport, but tonight is for fashion that functions. The room is riddled with new jeans made to look well-worn and hooded green sweatshirts with fresh waxed jackets on top. Together, the brands have created a limited-edition capsule that celebrates their individual legacies and their respective workwear heritage. Barbour silhouettes with Levi’s denim, antique brass trims with a Barbour wax finish, equally fit for English weather and the attitude of the American West. It’s workwear designed for the duality of legacy and innovation, of history and history-making. The whole affair serves as a much needed reminder of the beauty of simplicity, that life’s little wonders are often found in good company and existence without overthinking.
