
Barena Venezia, the workwear-nodding Italian brand founded in 1993 by Sandro Zara, is setting up shop at London’s Harrods.
Growing beyond its status as a niche heritage label for those in the know, the brand is reinforcing its linkup with the British luxury department store that kicked off in 2017, by opening a permanent pop-up on Nov. 1.
“This project represents the first step in a broader vision of immersive experiences,” said Davide Sambin Zara, one of the founder’s four children, who joined the company as chief commercial officer earlier this year after accruing experience in the luxury sector at Tom Ford and Zegna.
“We’re already working on additional initiatives to follow, and are actively pursuing the opening of our first retail store, a place where our ideas and values can fully come to life beyond the garments,” he said.
Located inside Harrods’ menswear area, the space’s decor pays homage to Venice’s maritime heritage embedding design elements inspired by the ship’s keel and “bricole,” or dolphins in English, the group of wooden pilings used as mooring points in the Venetian lagoon. The latter inform the entryway to the space while the keel shape appears at the rear of the store as an installation. At the center of the space, a sculptural installation nodding to “forcole,” the oarlocks used in rowing, was created by Venetian master artisan Saverio Pastor.
A render for the Barena Venezia permanent pop-up shop at London’s Harrods.
Courtesy of Barena Venezia
The brand, which is centered around Venetian workwear, launched almost three decades ago with a collection of aprons. It has developed into a full-fledged menswear brand, whose offering is rooted in what’s billed as the “anti-suit,” such as matching top and bottom with workwear and utilitarian inflections — think pleated pants with overshirts, baggy trousers and bomber jackets.
In 2008 the company introduced a womenswear collection. Both are produced within miles of the company’s headquarters just outside Venice.
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