Barrie Knitwear

What Barrie Knitwear does

Barrie Knitwear is a UK-based luxury fashion manufacturer founded in 1903, specializing in complex couture cashmere garments supplied to prestigious global luxury fashion houses under contract manufacturing arrangements. The company operates from its headquarters in Hawick, Scottish Borders — one of the largest employers in the region — with a second manufacturing facility in Leicester supporting production expansion. Its workforce of 307 co-workers spans specialized departments including Development, Production (knitting, body linking, collar linking), Finishing, Yarnstore, Quality Control, and an in-house Training Academy.

The company's technical stack pairs state-of-the-art Shima Seiki computerized knitting machinery — used for prototype and development production — with traditional linking techniques that have been transmitted across generations of artisans. This combination enables the production of complex couture garments that meet the exacting standards of luxury maisons. Active recruitment of Trainee Linkers and a dedicated Training Manager role indicate ongoing investment in preserving and scaling this specialist skill base.

Commercially, Barrie Knitwear operates as a B2B contract manufacturer on an enterprise sales motion, with revenue derived from fashion manufacturing services and pricing negotiated directly with each luxury client. The company markets itself as one of the most significant employers in the Scottish Borders and is in a self-described expansion phase, with multiple production, quality, and development roles open across both Hawick and Leicester locations. No public funding, ownership changes, or revenue disclosures are present in the source materials.

Name

Barrie Knitwear

Legal name

Barrie Knitwear

Website

https://barrieknitwear.teamtailor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Barrie Knitwear is a UK-based contract manufacturer founded in 1903 that produces complex couture cashmere garments for prestigious global luxury fashion houses, operating from Hawick and Leicester with 307 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Knitwear Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Knitting Mills (31512), Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Apparel Knitting Mills (315120)

SIC

Knit Outerwear Mills (2253), Knitting Mills (2250), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)

akta.pro primary industry

Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers (CRAAAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Knitted Fabrics (CRAAAMAC), Knitted Fabric Mills (IMAOABAB)

Keywords

• Luxury knitwear manufacturing
• Cashmere garment production
• Couture apparel manufacturing
• Fashion contract manufacturing
• Knitwear product development

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fashion Manufacturing Services: Barrie Knitwear generates revenue by manufacturing luxury cashmere knitwear garments for prestigious global fashion houses. The company combines technical expertise with traditional craftsmanship to produce complex couture pieces on a contract manufacturing basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Barrie Knitwear is a fashion manufacturer that creates complex couture cashmere garments and supplies them to multiple luxury fashion brands worldwide. The offering spans end-to-end luxury knitwear production — from yarn-store preparation and development on Shima Seiki knitting machinery through knitting, body linking, collar linking, finishing, and final quality-control inspection — delivered on a contract manufacturing basis.

Product overview

Barrie Knitwear is a luxury fashion manufacturer specializing in complex couture cashmere garments for prestigious fashion houses worldwide. The company's operations span multiple specialized departments including Development (with Shima Seiki knitting technology), Production (knitting, body linking, collar linking), Finishing, Yarnstore, Quality Control, and a Training Academy. The product offering encompasses end-to-end luxury knitwear manufacturing services from yarn preparation through final garment inspection and finishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Complex Couture Cashmere Knitwear Manufacturing End-to-end contract manufacturing of complex couture cashmere knitwear garments, delivered to prestigious global luxury fashion houses. The offering covers yarn preparation, knitting, body linking, collar linking, finishing, and quality control.
• Knitwear Prototype Development

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Loro Piana: Vertically integrated Italian luxury cashmere and wool producer owned by LVMH. Comparable in cashmere knitwear end market and luxury customer base, though Loro Piana is a much larger brand owner with integrated fiber sourcing.
• Brunello Cucinelli: Global luxury cashmere and knitwear brand with significant in-house Italian manufacturing. Comparable as a luxury cashmere player with brand ownership, though operates its own brand rather than pure contract manufacturing.
• Barbour: UK heritage apparel manufacturer with owned brand producing outerwear and knitwear. Comparable as a long-established British heritage apparel manufacturer with similar institutional longevity and craftsmanship ethos.

Direct peers

• Johnstons of Elgin: Heritage Scottish cashmere knitwear manufacturer founded in 1797, producing woven and knitted cashmere garments and accessories for luxury brands globally. Direct comparable in terms of heritage positioning, B2B manufacturing model, and Scottish cashmere expertise.
• Eric Bompard: French luxury cashmere knitwear brand and manufacturer known for high-quality cashmere garments. Comparable as a heritage European cashmere knitwear specialist serving the luxury segment.
• Pringle of Scotland: Iconic Scottish knitwear brand with heritage manufacturing roots producing cashmere and wool knitwear. Comparable as a heritage luxury knitwear player with similar Scottish manufacturing tradition and luxury customer base.
• Ballantyne: Italian luxury cashmere knitwear manufacturer with heritage positioning in couture-grade knitwear. Comparable as a peer in luxury cashmere knitwear manufacturing serving prestigious fashion brands.
• N Peal: British cashmere knitwear brand and manufacturer with long heritage, producing luxury cashmere garments. Comparable as a UK-based luxury cashmere knitwear producer with similar customer and craftsmanship positioning.

Emerging players

• Cifonelli: Parisian couture atelier specialising in luxury tailoring and bespoke garments. Comparable as a heritage European couture manufacturer serving luxury clients with traditional craftsmanship, though focused on tailoring rather than knitwear.

Regional players

• Hawick Knitwear (printer/screen printers of Hawick): Scottish Borders-based cashmere knitwear manufacturer located in the same Hawick cluster as Barrie. Comparable in regional Scottish cashmere manufacturing heritage and skill base, though smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barrie-knitwear

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barrie Knitwear