GET ARTY WITH IT
Sarah Young explores the latest in art/fashion collaborations as Barbican employees model the latest Warehouse gladrags
For spring/summer 2018, high street favourite Warehouse is getting artsy and joining forces with the Barbican - the international arts and learning centre in east London famed for its Brutalist architecture.
As well as including textured fabrics that mirror the building’s concrete exterior, the brand also sought inspiration from the throng of tropical plants inside the Barbican’s conservatory to create a collection of grown-up prints on everything from loose tailoring and tote bags to slinky jersey separates.
Launching this month, the brand draws on botanical patterns and architectural shapes to build a series of wearable and eye-catching designs that feature bold, brunt orange and khaki tones, flamboyantly feathered birds and leafy plants.
Synonymous with its “Warehouse curates the city” brand mission, the collection also embraces the Barbican’s iconic brutalist architecture and spaces with an accompanying campaign shoot that celebrates the life of the building from the inside out.
Here, a group of employees from the Barbican were selected to model the capsule collection in their favourite spaces of the centre, including the conservatory, sculpture court and lakeside terrace.
“By exploring the centre through the women who work there, the campaign really brings the place to life through a narrative driven by their connection to the building,” Jill Gate, director of brand communications at Warehouse, told WWD.
“We didn’t want to simply deliver a collection framed by a series of images; we wanted to empower real women to help tell the story, women who are relatable to customers old and new.”
Available in store and online now, the collection ranges from £12 to £149. The Barbican will also stock a bag, kimono and scarf from the collection, with the scarf available exclusively at the centre.