A TRADITIONAL jacket maker which has seen its popularity soar with hip young stars in recent years has enlisted one of the world's most famous movie icons for its autumn collections.

J Barbour & Sons has launched a collection endorsed by the estate of Steve McQueen, nicknamed the King of Cool, and based on actual jackets, created by the South Tyneside firm, that the US actor wore.

Since stars including Lily Allen, Alex Turner, of Arctic Monkeys, and actress Sienna Miller took to wearing the waxed country jackets about five years ago their popularity as a lifestyle brand has soared.

Turnover has increased from £65m in 2008 to nearly £90m last year and the numbers employed at its South Shields factory have risen in that time from 350 to 418.

As well as the Steve McQueen collection, Barbour has further enhanced its fashion credentials by working on a new women's collection with renowned designer Alice Temperley - the Barbour Gold range.

Ms Temperley produced Pippa Middleton's evening dress for this year's royal wedding and her designs have been seen on actresses including Scarlett Johansson, Emma Watson and Kiera Knightley.

A spokeswoman for Barbour said: "I think it is important for us because we are expanding as a lifestyle brand and these collections are part of that."

The firm worked with McQueen's son, Chad, and the late actor's estate licensing agent GreenLight, in New York, on the collection.

McQueen, who died in 1980, was an avid racer of both motorcycles and cars, and often wore Barbour jackets for motorcycle sports.

He did so when he represented the US team in the 1964 International Six Day motorcycle trials (ISDT) in East Germany, which saw each rider covering 200 miles a day over various terrain.

The spokeswoman added: "The reason we have done the Steve McQueen collection is that he used to wear Barbour.

"It is absolutely fantastic.

We have images of him racing in our clothing, because he was as keen a racer as an actor.

"It took a while. There was a lot of backwards and forwards between ourselves and the estate to make sure everybody was happy with it.

"His son, Chad, was involved and all the collection was seen and approved, so we know that his father would have worn that."

Chad McQueen, said: "Barbour jackets were always around and I remember the way they smelled, the way they felt and the weight of them.

"I do wear Barbour and, of course, it's because of the images of my dad on the Triumph. It's such a cool image that it's burned into my mind forever."

Barbour jackets are still made by hand in the factory in Simonside, South Shields, with over 100,000 jackets manufactured each year.