August Barron

There is one brand that keeps popping up more and more on our feed lately: August Barron.

At the point where we are all doomscrolling past a thousand brands a day, it takes a lot to actually make someone stop. This brand’s collections spark a certain curiosity every fashion week. 
It makes sense when you look at their history. They started as a magazine, designing clothes for the camera, not the closet.

 

©wmagazine.com

 

Hello, We’ve Rebranded.

You probably know them as ALL-IN. But after 10 years in the game, the founders Norwegian designer Bror August Vestbø and photographer Benjamin Barron, decided it was time for a glow-up. They rebranded to August Barron, putting their actual names on the door. Just like the big heritage houses, this move was a signal that they are done being a niche project; they are building a legacy.

 

Director Benjamin Barron & Bror August Vestbø ©vogue.com

 

"For a while, ALL-IN felt like it existed on the periphery of fashion. But we wanted to be recognized as a more traditional fashion brand. We feel quite deeply involved in the actual industry now."

The lore is pretty simple. New York, 2015. Barron was launching ALL-IN magazine, and he met Vestbø at the launch party. They became partners in life and work, and they have been running the show together ever since.

 

©augustbarron

 

The funny part is August Barron never actually intended to be a clothing brand.
The duo started hacking up garments just to create cool, conceptual props for their magazine shoots. They would take thrift store finds and deadstock fabric, rip them apart, and stitch them back together into something weird and new.

 

 ©augustbarron.com

 

Once you know that backstory, their chaotic style makes perfect sense. That accidental feel is actually their superpower. They didn't think anyone would buy this stuff as ready-to-wear, but that raw energy is exactly what landed them a spot as a finalist for the 2025 LVMH Prize.

 

Fantasy to Reality

August Barron officially stamped its visa in the industry with a 2019 presentation at Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s New York store. After moving to Paris during the pandemic, they made their official debut for the SS23 season. It was the moment the magazine fantasy became wearable reality.

 

©@augustbarron

 

The reason we are obsessed is that they haven't lost that initial grit. They still mix cheap t-shirts and jerseys with expensive silks. They still deconstruct deadstock. Their signature look is layering, but if layering meant stitching a shirt on top of another shirt until it becomes one mutant garment.

 

“We're always inspired by characters who are at a heightened moment of representation or trying to achieve something.”

 

Every show feels like a character study. It’s pastel tones colliding with lace, leather, and unique tailoring. This was fully on display in the SS26 collection, the first one under their new name.

 

August Barron SS26 ©vogue.com

 

Styled by the legendary Lotta Volkova and starring Petra Collins on the runway, this season’s theme was Real Housewife. But we aren't talking reality TV, we’re talking 1950s American suburbia filtered through a dark, specific lens inspired by the duo's trip to Japan.

 

They found inspiration in vintage bondage magazines, specifically the way clothes looked on housewives who were half-dressed or suspended in ropes. They translated that drape into the clothes with surgical precision. If there is a common thread in an August Barron show, it is this sense of being undone. It’s messy, unpolished, and feels like freedom.

 

Why We Are Drawn to August Barron

Let’s be real: August Barron’s clothes are not convenient, and they definitely aren't polite. You don't put this on to look safe, but that’s exactly the point. The moment you add one of their pieces to a fit, it becomes the main character.

 

©@augustbarron

 

If I’m being honest, the Level Boots are one of the only things on my wish list right now.

 

@emilialaforce ©@augustbarron

 

These boots, which look like two different shoes smashed together, are incredible. They have enough presence to carry an entire casual outfit on their own. From flat silhouettes to kitten heels, they are showing us some of the most interesting deconstructed footwear in the industry right now. If you are going to buy just one thing from August Barron, trust me: get the Level boots.

 

©i-d.co

 

For the women who refuse to be easily defined, there is no better brand right now. They capture that specific feeling of modern instability and messiness, all while making it look incredibly chic. We can't wait to see what they do next.