THE BRAND

BARQUE was conceived to reinvigorate the menswear genre, offering an original, modern interpretation of the classics.  The collection is designed for people who have grown tired of predictable American menswear stores and are looking to update their old-fashioned suits and conventional wardrobe to something that is new and fresh, but firmly grounded in the traditions they grew up with. BARQUE offers a trend-conscious and global lifestyle without having to spend a fortune and stray too far from the customer’s comfort zone.  After almost eight years working as a designer in New York and Taipei for various brands and one year studying in Paris, Creative Director Gilbert Chen understands customers' needs from a global perspective. Influenced and inspired by fashion from around the world, he has developed a collection embracing two main concepts - “casual dress-up attitude” and “international-fusion styling”.

The name BARQUE grew from the word BARK, the outer covering of a tree. The name was chosen because Chen sees clothing as “the BARK of humanity” - it serves to cover and protect us in a simple and natural way. Substituting QUE for K is meant to represent the modern and global spirit that the brand embodies. By referencing tree bark, an early material used to make clothing, BARQUE also evokes the use of natural materials and the days of serious craftsmanship in clothing design.

THE DESIGNER

Creative Director Gilbert Chen was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the US at age 14.  After graduating from high school, he studied Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin.  With a growing interest in fashion and having trouble finding clothes he liked in a shopping mall, he took a few fashion design classes and eventually decided to pursue a career as a fashion designer.  Upon receiving his BFA from the prestigious Parsons School of Design, Chen worked as a menswear designer for brands such as Arrow Sportswear, Cole Haan Outerwear, Joseph Abboud Outerwear, and Arnold Palmer Taiwan.  Meanwhile, with the desire to understand the full picture of the business, Chen studied for an MBA in International Luxury Brand Management at ESSEC Business School in France.  Finally in 2010, Chen launched his own menswear collection BARQUE, named after BARK with a slight twist in spelling.  BARQUE is as personal as it can get in terms of Chen’s own personal taste and sense of style.  Now Chen lives between New York and Taipei and enjoys building a brand and running his business.