Paris Fashion Week 2024: Barrydale Hand Weavers

Originating from a quaint Klein Karoo town, Barrydale Hand Weavers has made a remarkable journey from small-town start-up to luxury fashion icon at this year’s Paris Fashion Week 2024.

Renowned for their environmentally friendly, locally sourced cotton products, Barrydale Hand Weavers has long been committed to preserving the ancient art of hand weaving. This year, their commitment to the latter along with their vision to transform cotton offcuts into eco-conscious luxury were front and centre as part of Uni Form’s latest collection under creative visionary, Luke Radloff.

The collaboration traces back to 2019 when the then-unknown Johannesburg-based Radloff serendipitously encountered Barrydale on his journey to Cape Town, South Africa. It was here that he unearthed the material that would later define his acclaimed 2020 solo collection.

Fast forward to 2023, Radloff’s ascent to the zenith of the fashion world, crowned by accolades like GQ Magazine’s top designer and the Nicholas Couts Artisanal Fashion Award, paved the way for this transformative partnership. But it was not until he was selected as the first laureate of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation x Orveda residency programme in October last year, that the designer realised just how important his work with Barrydale Hand Weavers was and could be.

“The privilege I enjoyed to go through Mr Alaïa’s own collection and the original work he collected of Coco Chanel, Christóbal Balenciaga, Madam Grey and other top couturiers made me realise more and more that I had to push to include a collaboration with the Barrydale Hand Weavers at the Paris Fashion Week.”

Returning to Barrydale, Radloff collaborated closely with local artisans to craft a range that could captivate Europe – and captivate it did. The show was a massive success – a triumph that not only elevated Radloff and Barrydale Hand Weavers but also heralded a significant milestone for the South Africa’s fashion industry. Through their garments and textiles, Barrydale Hand Weavers narrated South Africa’s rich heritage to a global audience, reigniting fascination with this profoundly creative corner of the world.

Emerging from humble beginnings at the Karoo Art Hotel nearly two decades ago, Barrydale Hand Weavers has evolved under Kate and Arran Bastable’s leadership into a beacon of style and sustainability today while continuing to produce world-class textiles renowned for their quality and artistry.