Lily shows why Chanel chose to put its cash into cashmere
CHANEL has unveiled the new face of its Scottish cashmere house.
Model and actress Lily Collins, the 25-year-old daughter of rock legend Phil, will promote Hawick-based Barrie Knitwear’s first ready-to-wear range.
The 20-piece collection, which will be previewed in Paris next month, is expected to appeal to a younger generation and inspire a new wave of cashmere devotees.
The first images of the range show Miss Collins – who starred as Snow White alongside Julia Roberts in 2012 Hollywood blockbuster Mirror Mirror – wearing a range of colourful jumpers and edgily patterned dresses and cardigans.
Photographed by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, Miss Collins accessorises with a slick of deep red lipstick, bright hairclips and pearls.
Barrie Knitwear has manufactured the majority of Chanel’s cashmere items for the past 25 years. The French fashion house bought the ailing 140-year-old Borders mill in 2012 when its previous owners were forced into administration, safeguarding almost 200 jobs.
Speaking at the time, Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky said it reaffirmed the label’s ‘commitment to traditional expertise and craftsmanship’.
Earlier this year, Barrie Knitwear managing director Jim Carrie revealed the firm was expanding its operations.
The first stand-alone Barrie store is due to open on June 15 on the exclusive Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris.