Home / History / 2002-Present
In 2002, Margaret Barbour was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
In 2004, Barbour began to work with Lord James Percy, younger brother of the Duke of Northumberland and considered to be one of the most renowned all round shots of his generation, in the design and marketing of its flagship shooting clothing.
Lord James has designed and developed the Northumberland range of technically advanced shooting and country wear which includes the highly acclaimed Lightweight Cheviot Jacket. . In 2005, the Northumberland Range won the Shooting Industry Award for best clothing product, and more recently, the Linhope 3-in-1 won the Shooting Industry Award for best clothing product, 2008.
Today Barbour's headquarters are still in Simonside, South Shields. Although it sources products from around the globe, Barbour's classic wax jackets are still manufactured by hand in the factory in Simonside and each year over 100,000 jackets are processed via the central, subsidiary and local customer service operations.
There are now over 2,000 products across the two seasons and the collections now also cater for Ladies and Children .
Barbour now has 11 of its own retail shops in the UK, and a presence in 40 countries worldwide including Germany, Holland, Austria, France, the United States, Italy, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan.
Broadening out from its countrywear roots, today the company produces clothing that is designed for a full country lifestyle. As well as jackets and coats, the Barbour wardrobe includes trousers, shirts, socks, midlayers and knitwear. Recently the brand was tipped as one to watch as younger customers discover Barbour’s unique benefits.
Nevertheless, in whichever area the company now operates, it remains true to its core values as a family business which espouses the unique values of the British Countryside and brings the qualities of wit, grit and glamour to its beautifully functional clothing.