TV presenter Anita Rani talks about her love of the outdoors, growing up in Yorkshire and her new partnership with Barbour
Bradford-born Anita Rani is no stranger to the benefits of outdoor living. Growing up surrounded by Yorkshire’s diverse and captivating natural landscapes, the great outdoors comes as part of the presenter’s DNA, making her an ideal ambassador for Barbour’s exclusive collection for John Lewis.
With an earthy ‘allotment’ colour palette, exemplary sustainability credentials and that ‘wax for life’ guarantee on the jackets, Barbour’s latest capsule for John Lewis is inspired by urban gardens, community green spaces and outdoor living. A happy side effect of the pandemic has been people’s engagement with their green spaces, however big or small, and Barbour’s collection aims to capture the nation’s newly found greenfingered passion.
Along with the iconic jackets, the womenswear capsule includes cosy Autumnal chunky knits, an indispensable overshirt, workwear-inspired dungarees and a couple of midi dresses that will take you from the allotment to the pub in style. Sustainability is front and centre with this collection, with BCI-certified cotton used throughout as well as Tencel’s Lyocell, which is a sustainable alternative to viscose.
Sustainability is a huge factor for Anita Rani when she’s buying new clothes. A Barbour enthusiast, we caught up with the presenter after she’d spent the day doing some planting at a community garden project in London’s Lambeth.
I’d describe myself as a rookie urban gardener. It’s definitely something I paid more attention to at the beginning of lockdown. Our garden flourished, we grew tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, plenty of herbs. I used to be terrible at looking after plants but I now pay them a lot of attention. They are living things, after all, and need nurturing.
I was a really outdoorsy child. I loved being outdoors and running around on the moors in my beloved Yorkshire. Every Sunday come rain or shine we’d be exploring somewhere beautiful. Luckily you only have to drive 20 minutes in pretty much any direction from Bradford and you’ll hit stunning countryside. And that love of the outdoors and adventure has never left me. I’m always dreaming of mountains.
Nature is therapy on tap – it’s there for us all to access for free. Our green spaces were vital during lockdown, they were our lifelines. I’m in London and a lot of people don’t have access to a garden, but there are parks a-plenty. I have Hackney marshes on my doorstep and I discovered so much more of what I have close by to me in the last 18 months. And it’s amazing. I love the feel of grass between my toes. We all need to connect with nature. We are part of this perfect planet, after all. It’s our natural habitat too.
I loved that the garden in Lambeth was at the heart of the community and accessible for everyone, the opposite of an exclusive gated garden. I also loved the use of space, along a path and in between two main roads – a beautiful bit of community planning. And it’s for everyone. I’m not sure I did them any favours with my planting though!
We’ve learned that community is everything in the last year. It’s how the human race functions best. Helping each other out and feeling useful and part of something bigger than ourselves. I love my little community. I met some of my best friends in the world when I moved into my area. I love having people knock on my door and pop in for a cuppa. During lockdown my street was like an extended family, people looking out for each other. We even had someone make jam for everyone from the communal quince tree!
We all need to think about sustainability, in any way we can. We can’t ignore the climate crisis. We also need the government and big business to do the same and help us to be able to make realistic, affordable, sustainable choices.
When I’m outdoors it’s all about layers. Our weather is unpredictable so always be prepared. There’s nothing worse than feeling cold and wet. You need decent footwear, socks and – possibly my favourite item of clothing – a good coat. For me it has to be stylish as well as functional. I have so many coats, I have a separate wardrobe to house them.
From the Barbour collection, I love the maroon cord dress and pink cardigan – they are such lush autumn colours. Naturally I’m in love with the jacket and I absolutely adore the socks. Cosy feet always make me happy.
