This week in London, Burberry presented its first collection designed by its newly appointed creative director Daniel Lee. Within Kensington Park, Lee welcomed guests to an intimate set he designed himself, inspired by Thomas Burberry‘s tents of the late-19th century that were created to provide shelter, comfort, and warmth.
Courtesy of Burberry.
Once inside, fans of Lee’s work at Bottega Veneta over the past three years kept all eyes on the runway to see how he’d usher in a new era of style—post-Ricardo Tisci, yes, but post-old Britain, too. After all, the British house has grown leaps and bounds since its iconic trench coat days over a century ago, and Lee began by conjuring historic references from the eras since.
Courtesy of Burberry.
From the start, we noticed no superstar models were cast to walk. Instead, Lee focused on hand-selecting emerging models and filling the Fall/Winter 2023 show’s front rows with his supporters over the years—like Bright Vachirawit, Liberty Ross, Bianca Jagger, Baz Luhrmann, Vanessa Redgrave, Skepta, Jamie XX, and Vegyn. As the looks passed by, garments and accessories caught attention for featuring some of Britain’s most storied motifs, from the popular English rose to the fox hunter. England’s rebellious era came to play, too, with a punk spirit seen in slouchy trousers, mix-match prints, and amplified shoe silhouettes.
Courtesy of Burberry.
Check and plaid prints were updated with bold colors, seen on reimagined tailored knits, blanket coats, sweaters, and more. Buberry’s logo, the Equestrian Knight Design, was contemporized, as well, mirroring the brand’s evolution since the character’s inception 122 years ago with a knight that’s sleek and modern, yet still inspired by archival imagery. The trench came back home, honoring its heritage and growth, too, now oversized with faux fur-trimmed lapels—at times matching gloves and hats; the car coat was deconstructed and jazzed up with new shapes, materials, and textures; shoe designs reminded us of Burberry’s home turf, often brisk and damp with rain, by including rubber equestrian boots, square sandals, and faux fur mules; and tartan-inspired kilts were seen worn over trousers and argyle jumpers.
Courtesy of Burberry.
Lee’s strength in leather accessory design shined through, too, with a plentiful selection of bags. Structured satchels and saddlebags were seen in sturdy fabrics and silhouettes, closed by a new functional “B” fastener. Other styles included leather hobo shapes adorned by an adjustable strap and a pendant lock, a large suede cross-body bag, matching the hue of the outfit, a considerable patent leather bag with several compartments and a wide strap, and a series of small purses dangling with a faux fox fur tail that harked back to Burberry’s roots.
Courtesy of Burberry.
