Dame Barbour to be honoured with Award at NatWest UKFT

08 May '14

4 min read

Dame Margaret Barbour will be honoured with the NatWest UKFT Outstanding Achievement Award at the upcoming NatWest UK Fashion & Textile Awards 2014 on 22nd May. Having spent 40 years at the helm of iconic British brand Barbour, the businesswoman and philanthropist has been chosen for her immense and long-standing contribution to the UK fashion industry.

The accolade comes as the brand marks its 120th anniversary this year. In 2013 Dame Margaret Barbour celebrated 40 years as Chairman of Barbour, and under her leadership, the brand has reinvented itself from rural and naval work wear, to a global fashion phenomenon, with three Royal Warrants and products available in over 40 countries.

Bridging the gap between function and fashion, their iconic wax jackets are now an outerwear staple for the style conscious and collaborations with brands such as Temperley and Paul Smith have propelled Barbour squarely into the fashion space, becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable global lifestyle brands.

While the brand may have moved on from its practical beginnings, Dame Margaret Barbour has always kept its rich heritage at the heart of the business. Barbour continues to manufacture its traditional wax jackets in South Shields in the North East, where they currently employ almost 800 staff. In May 2012, Dame Margaret also opened the Barbour Academy for textile apprentices, continuing her commitment to supporting employment and manufacturing in the region. In 1988, Dame Margaret founded the Barbour Trust (now the Barbour Foundation) which to date has awarded grants of over £11.25m to charities and cultural projects.

Dame Margaret was honoured with a CBE for services to industry in 1991, and in 1995 she became President of the Royal Warrant Holders. In 2001, she also became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Dame Margaret will accept the Award at the NatWest UK Fashion & Textile Awards, held on the 22nd May 2014 at East London’s Tobacco Dock. The exclusive red carpet event will bring together VIP’s, industry leaders and celebrities, to celebrate the most exciting, innovative and successful fashion and textile businesses in the UK.

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