Barbara Bui is in an enviable position: In the three decades since she launched her brand, in the then-edgy Montorgueil area, her clients have stuck with her. Now, their daughters are on board too. For Resort, the designer has something for all of them.
In a nod to her early “rock style” days in the ’90s, Bui offers up new iterations of house classics, such as studded leather jackets (a game-changer then, a stalwart now), a jean jacket worked in python, or a trench elevated with python and leather details. High-waisted, ample cargo-style trousers come in khaki cotton or leather. Overalls are back too, in keeping with the workwear trend. “It’s very cool and contemporary for young people, and in leather it becomes very glamorous when paired with a silk blouse. It lets you change things up from regular tailoring,” the designer noted. Other of-the-moment pieces include one-shoulder leather tops, ruffled romantic yet sporty hoodies, and gold lamé separates, such as a metallic baseball jacket or gold track pants. Even tailored jackets come down a notch with camouflage lapels and detachable peplums.
Like the designer herself, the woman who dresses in Barbara Bui woman tends to have a force-of-nature kind of personality. “We keep it chic for the woman with a full, more accomplished career, and more forward for the girls who are just finding their adult style,” the designer notes. “Nothing is classic. Nothing is pretentious. It’s all about attitude.”
And with the imminent launch of her new e-commerce site, that little extra dose of attitude will be within grasp well beyond Paris city limits.
