The range includes Crew Neck Jumpers, Shawl Collar Jumpers, and Shawl Collar Cardigans, prices start from $49.99 to $279.99.
For a number of years Barkers’ head of design Paul Biddle envisioned selling a range of New Zealand-made knitwear with local provenance to the nation’s market. Working with New Zealand companies to collaborate with and support the local industry has always been of great importance to the brand.
This year Biddle’s goal was realised when Woolyarns, a Wellington-based manufacturer of luxury yarns approached Barkers to create a line of knitwear, following the success of Barkers’ collaboration with Dunedin shoe manufacturer McKinlays.
Spanning seven decades of manufacturing, Woolyarns has become globally renowned as an innovative custom yarn provider whose team of engineers focus on extracting the finest qualities of sourced fibres to produce and bring to market high-end, man-made luxury through their natural yarns.
This winter sees the launch of the most luxurious knitwear the Barkers brand has produced yet –a culmination of 12 months work between the two companies.
The knitwear utilises Woolyarns’ innovative fabrication: ‘Perino’ wool, a blended yarn with 70% ultra-fine micron merino, 20% Brush tail possum fur and 10% nylon, of which was launched by the manufacturer in 2003. The possum fibre provides warmth without added weight, is soft, and has superior anti-pilling qualities as well as being sustainably sourced (beneficial to the country’s native flora and fauna) –paramount to Barkers and the production process. The raw materials are spun into yarn by Woolyarns in Wellington then knitted in the Bay of Plenty into the finished garments.
Teaming up with Woolyarns has allowed Barkers to utilise the finest New Zealand yarn to create a limited edition collection of locally made, modernised, classic menswear garments and accessories.