Barbour has always been tied to the rhythms of the British countryside. Fishing at dawn, horses grazing across open fields, quiet mornings spent watching birds drift across the sky. For Spring Summer 2026, the brand returns to those familiar scenes with the new Icons collection, a fresh interpretation of its most recognisable jackets, reworked in lightweight fabrics for warmer days while keeping the details that have defined Barbour for generations.
To celebrate the collection, we set out to cast real people from across the UK. Not actors, not polished campaign regulars, but individuals with their own stories, their own accents and their own connection to the outdoors. The idea was simple. Three activities that feel unmistakably British. Fishing, birdwatching and horse riding. Each one paired someone experienced with someone newer to it, allowing those dynamics to unfold naturally.
What made the project special from the start was the mix of voices and dialects. Everyone came from a different part of the country and spoke in their own way. Cockney tones from East London, Midlands warmth, countryside voices and the sort of dry humour that only really exists in Britain. The conversations were never scripted. The personalities carried the story.
The fishing story paired Matt and Chuck. Matt, who works for the coastguard and grew up around this kind of environment, takes the role of the expert. He understands the pace of it, the patience, the quiet logic behind every movement. Chuck arrived from East London with a completely different energy. A chef and artist who has fished with friends before, but here slightly outside his usual setting, asking questions and shifting the tone. The dynamic between them feels natural from the start.
It also connects directly back to the product. The Spey jacket, originally designed for anglers, sits at the centre of this story. Built for movement and practicality around water, it feels completely at home in the setting rather than styled into it.
For birdwatching we met Gail and Hannah. Gail is both a model and a lifelong birdwatcher, though before any of that she spent years working as a police officer. She brings that quiet focus and experience to the role. Hannah travelled down from Wolverhampton with a genuine curiosity for the outdoors, stepping into something new. Watching the two of them scan the sky and trade small observations back and forth feels easy and unforced.
Here, the Durham jacket comes into play, a piece originally created for country pursuits like birdwatching. Lightweight but practical, it mirrors the pace of the activity itself, steady, observant and rooted in the landscape.
Horse riding introduced another dynamic. Maxi spends part of his time looking after horses and moves with a natural confidence in that space. Alongside him was Jasroop, a model who has always loved horses and was keen to get closer to that world. Their scenes carry a relaxed rhythm, built on trust and small moments of guidance.
The whole campaign was built around these relationships. The balance between experience and discovery, people sharing an activity rather than performing it. The humour, the awkward moments, the little bits of advice passed along the way. Those moments became the narrative.
Visually the films follow each pair through the activity itself, capturing the landscape, the weather and the small details that make these places feel real. Conversations unfold naturally while the Barbour jackets move through the environment they were designed for. Rain in the grass, mud around the pond, wind moving across the fields.
Even the smaller details carry weight. Matt’s first ever pay cheque was spent on a Barbour jacket, something he still owns today. When the brand heard about it they offered to repair and restore it, bringing that piece of his history back to life.
What stayed with us most from the shoot was the sense of authenticity. Six people from completely different corners of Britain, each speaking in their own voice and approaching the moment in their own way. Some more experienced, some discovering something new, but every one of them felt real.
And that is exactly what the campaign set out to celebrate.
