Fashion
Barrow Gives a Tease and Taste of Their Fall 2021 Collection
by Evan Ross Katz
16 September 2021
This article is a sponsored collaboration between Barrow and PAPER
As many a New York Fashion Week attendee will tell you, finding times to eat during the no sleep/ bus/ club/ nother club/ nother club week can be at best, tricky, at worst, impossible. That's why the intellects at Barrow, the Italian streetwear brand known for its eye-popping, neon-hued designs, decided to not only satiate the appetites of Fashion Week-goers, but do it by bringing it to them.
Along with a tease of its upcoming Fall 2021 "Trippy Avalanche" collection inspired by '90s neon skiwear with psychedelic influences and the Italian Alps as a background, the brand served up icy treats to a slew of notable NYFW attendees including Tinashe, Utah Jazz point guard Jordan Clarkson, Grammy-nominated singer/ songwriter Julia Michaels and model Jordan Barrett.
Other attendees included models Chanel Iman and Chantel Jeffries, both of whom showed up in Barrow (Iman in a full look and Jeffries in a denim jacket from the brand), as well as Nigerian-American R&B duo VanJess. Others arrived in Barrow's signature bucket hats and socks. Basically, if the pink truck didn't catch your eye, the mosh pit of hungry fans decked out and adorning the overall layout made it clear that a taste of Italy had made its way to the Big Apple.
"We stopped by in the middle of attending shows that day and we were hype about them giving us gelato first of all," VanJess told PAPER. "But also we thought it was a really unique dope way to bring everyone together in a way that didn't take itself too seriously." That seemed to be the overall vibe for both Fashion Week attendees and those lucky (or well-strategized) enough to be in vicinity.
Because Barrow's mantra is about unleashing creativity and "irresponsible self-expression," the brand didn't just turn up with any old gelato, but rather curated their own gelato brand inspired by their logo — a take on the smile emoji, featuring three eyes and two triangular teeth pointing out of the straight-lined mouth.
So why gelato — besides it being quintessentially Italian? "An ice cream truck is about sharing good things and being together," a Barrow said. "It's a moment of community building and sharing good things, even the simplest ones hasn't been easy for the last one year and a half." Amen to that.
Within a New York Fashion Week packed wall to wall and pavement to skyline with visual stimuli, it was a welcome addition to get a taste of something as exciting as everything we'd been seeing.
Photos courtesy of Barrow