British legacy brand Baracuta has become known for its partnerships. After working with a myriad of brands this year, including a recent collaboration with Junya Watanabe, the designer brand has finally landed on its final partnership of the year. This time, though, the mission is different. Rather than co-mingling design visions, Baracuta keeps their self-image intact, while taking on the mission of another brand. Enter OUR LEGACY and their eco-conscious upcycling initiative WORK SHOP. In partnership with the Swedish fashion house, Baracuta is reusing old fabrics to bring back an archival jacket. For Baracuta, all that’s old is new again. 

Founded in 2016, the WORK SHOP initiative is OUR LEGACY’s way of introducing climate consciousness to the fashion industry. Most know of the environmental harms of fast fashion, but even these higher-end designers can be at risk of assisting climate change. Thus, the WORK SHOP upcycling initiative asks designers to use the fabric they have left sitting around, crafting garments out of what they already have on hand. In sticking with WORK SHOP’s mission, designers can mitigate their individual harm to the environment, and ensure green practices. 

Fort their collaboration with OUR LEGACY, Baracuta has officially brought back the G9 Harrington Jacket. The overcoat is available in two colorways, black and tan. All jackets feature the Baracuta logo on full display, as well as an embroidered WORK SHOP symbol on the chest. A dog-ear collar and double button closure provide the jacket some individuality, while a ribbed waistband and cuffs give the coat structure. More than anything, though, the jacket is a nostalgic masterpiece. It’s perfect for those who want to relive those early Baracuta days. 

We are living through a vintage, backward-looking renaissance. It’s difficult to capture just what a 2020s design aesthetic would be, mostly because everyone seems to be dressing out of another era. That reckless nostalgia is utterly present throughout the fashion industry, too. Designers are looking back into their archives and dredging up old pieces that fit modern sensibilities. But, if the Baracuta x OUR LEGACY collaboration can teach us anything, it’s that this trip down memory lane need not further degrade the environment. Designers should mix this nostalgia with genuine backdated fabrics, upcycling their supply. Green practices are entirely doable and accessible; we just have to try.