Venice has always been more than a backdrop for Barena—it is its language. Since 1993, the independent Italian label has quietly built a distinctive vision of contemporary tailoring, rooted in the workwear traditions of the Venetian lagoon and elevated through an obsessive commitment to natural fabrics, local craftsmanship and understated design. As the industry accelerates, Barena continues to move at its own pace, proving that consistency can be more radical than constant reinvention.
For Spring–Summer 2027 Menswear, that philosophy feels more refined than ever. Relaxed tailoring meets washed linen, tropical wool, lightweight silk and the brand’s first leather developments, while every silhouette speaks the same quiet language of ease and longevity. During Paris Fashion Week, we sat down with Chief Commercial Officer Davide Sambin Zara, who returned to the family business after more than fourteen years at the Zegna Group, to discuss Barena’s Venetian roots, the evolution of the brand, the new generation leading its international growth, and why true luxury still begins with knowing where a garment comes from.
aaCan you tell us a bit about the origins of Barena Venezia?
Everything starts in the Veneto region. From the very beginning, the idea was to source and manufacture in Italy, keeping everything deeply connected to the territory. My father became fascinated by traditional Venetian workwear during the 1970s and ’80s. He was drawn to its functionality, its honesty, and the way it reflected the everyday life of the lagoon.
In 1993, he founded Barena. The name itself comes from the barene, the marsh islands of the Venetian Lagoon where the water meets the land. That landscape became the brand’s main source of inspiration. Today, we’re still a family business—there are four siblings involved—and Massimo, who has been with us since the beginning, continues to design the collections.
We launched the menswear line first and introduced womenswear in 2012. Over time the collections have become more minimal and refined, while always staying rooted in the same philosophy.
How would you describe the design approach behind Barena?
Our work always begins with materials. We only use natural fibres—linen, cotton, wool, silk and cashmere—and we don’t work with synthetic fibres. Fabric comes first, and the garment grows from there. We believe the material should dictate the design, not the other way around.
The inspiration comes from Venetian workwear, but we’re not interested in reproducing historical garments exactly as they were. It’s about translating that heritage into something contemporary, relevant and wearable today. We constantly try to find the balance between tradition and modernity.
How has the brand evolved internationally?
Today we’re distributed in around thirty countries. We recently opened our first store in Venice, close to the Fenice area, and the response has been incredibly positive. Opening during the Biennale gave us great visibility and confirmed the strong connection between the brand and the city.
Germany and the Nordic countries remain particularly important markets for us. We’ve worked with wonderful retailers there for many years, and in Paris we’re also present with long-standing partners. We feel very fortunate to have built a network of retailers who really understand what Barena represents.
This showroom is new for us. It’s our first season here, and we immediately felt it reflected the spirit of the brand—the industrial architecture, the sense of history, and at the same time a very contemporary atmosphere.
Can you introduce the Spring–Summer 2027 Menswear collection?
Of course. The collection continues our relaxed approach to tailoring. We introduced leather this season, which is something new for us, but it still follows our philosophy: everything is made in Italy using high-quality materials from Italian tanneries.
One of the strongest stories is our tropical wool programme. It’s a lightweight plain-weave wool that works beautifully for relaxed tailoring. We also developed washed linens that become incredibly soft while retaining their natural texture, alongside linen herringbones, overchecks and subtle stripes.
You’ll notice that many of the looks are built around matching sets. We like the idea of reinterpreting the suit—not in a formal sense, but as something easy, relaxed and contemporary. There are oversized overshirts, wide trousers, unstructured jackets and coordinated separates that can be worn together or individually.
Silk also plays an important role this season, especially through relaxed pyjama-inspired sets. Knitwear remains lightweight and open, while garment-dyed cottons retain a beautiful lived-in texture.
We also introduced our first riveted five-pocket trousers. They’re very simple, very easy to wear, and that’s exactly what interests us. We aren’t trying to complicate garments. Simplicity is essential.
Material research seems central to the collection.
Absolutely. Materials always come before design. We choose the fabrics first and allow them to suggest the silhouette and construction. That philosophy runs through both the men’s and women’s collections.
Many fabrics are shared across both lines—tropical wool, washed linen, linen-viscose blends, leather developments and cottons—creating a very coherent language throughout the collection.
What about the womenswear?
Women’s follows exactly the same philosophy as men’s. Rather than treating it as a separate universe, we develop the collections together, often using the same fabrics and adapting them to different silhouettes.
There are relaxed jackets, dresses, leather trousers, tropical wool tailoring and soft sets. One piece I’m particularly fond of references the historic Venetian Ronda, a double-layered garment that women traditionally wore through the city and could pull over their heads when entering church. It’s an example of how we reinterpret local history without becoming nostalgic.
Venetian craftsmanship seems to extend beyond the clothes themselves.
Yes, that’s something very important to us. For this presentation we’ve also included forcole, the carved wooden oarlocks used on Venetian gondolas. They’re extraordinary examples of local craftsmanship.
Only a handful of artisans in Venice still know how to make them, and it takes roughly ten to twelve years before someone can produce one independently. Their shape isn’t decorative—it’s incredibly functional, allowing the gondolier to position the oar in many different ways while manoeuvring the boat.
We’ve also used these objects in our installations, including at Harrods, because they represent a side of Venice that’s often overlooked. We’re much more interested in celebrating the city’s living craftsmanship than its postcard image.
How would you define Barena today?
We’re still very much a niche brand. Buyers who know us tend to appreciate the consistency of our work and the authenticity behind it. We don’t chase trends. We focus on materials, craftsmanship and products that have a clear origin and a traceable story.
For us, luxury is about knowing where something comes from, how it’s made and who made it. That’s what Barena has always stood for, and that’s exactly what the Spring–Summer 2027 collection continues to express.
