Burberry is one of the most iconic British Fashion Houses maintained by quality, perfect tailoring and innovation as the starting point in each collection. It was founded over 150 years ago in 1856 when Mr Thomas Burberry opened the first store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, at the young age of 21. Later on, the distinctive Equestrian Knight logo was created adding the word Prorsum which means in Latin forward. A constant motto for such avant-garde company.
Image courtesy Burberry Prorsum.
In 1914, Burberry was commissioned to adapt its coat to the rough elements of warfare and the quintessential trench coat was born. It is still one of the garments most closely associated with Burberry. The beginning of this century witnessed a successful expansion on a global scale and online sales led by by its former CEO's Rose Marie Bravo and Angela Ahrendts, and the current CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey. A visionary who has managed to position the Fashion House as one of the most influential in the world today.
Bailey's catwalks are much more than a mere presentation of next year's collection; they have become a unique experience with live music by Clare Maguire on this occasion and one of the hottest ticket during the London Fashion Week. Patchwork, Pattern & Prints, the title of the latest Winter collection, shown us with the link of perfect tailoring and the unexpected turn to the 60s in colours and bohemian flair. A sparkle of nostalgia in a contemporary setting. A break away from happy moments with lessons learnt. Perhaps an attempt to recover the optimism of a Golden Decade after the worse crisis in almost 100 years.
Image courtesy Burberry Prorsum.
As Bailey says:
We called the show 'Patchwork, Pattern & Prints' which really sums up what's at the heart of the collection; a relaxed yet intricate collection of dramatic silhouettes, handcrafted embroidery, and detailed embellishment. We loved this theme of a patchwork of ideas, textiles, silhouettes and our favourite Burberry pieces, evolved to reflect the bohemian relaxed spirit of the show.
Flowers immersed in warm colours recreates the last days of a plentiful summer. Memories fading away at the first signs of snow. A recap. A pause. Is happiness something we talk about in past tense? Oversized mono-coloured coats and ponchos ready for the freeze. Playful suede boots to continue the fun. Strings dangling from the ankle caressing the floor. Carelessness at its most. The Game is ON. Vintage that did not feel like vintage. Flawlessly succession of flowers and colour dots, as if the show were a bucolic poem. And then popping in and out the iconic trench coat in all different combinations mentioned above: suede, flower patterns and colour block.
Uplifting and overwhelming. It ended with the lead singer Maguire supported by London Contemporary Voices who surrounded the space from the top, The Langley Sisters and Clare Maguire's band singing My Sweet Lord under a multicolour paper snow. An extraordinary experience and an understanding why it is one on the hottest tickets during the London Fashion Week.
Image courtesy Burberry Prorsum.