London Fashion Week: Burberry embraces escape to the countryside

London Fashion Week wrapped up with Burberry
sending its Autumn/Winter collection down the catwalk on Monday, capping off a
relatively muted event in the rainy British capital.

Even the British luxury house sought to ditch the gloom with a show themed
around a countryside getaway, transporting its guests to the cozy,
old-fashioned charm of a British country house.

Creative director Daniel Lee, who joined Burberry a little over two years
ago, was “inspired by the incredible British interiors”, and luxurious fabrics
like velvet were used in the famous trench coat, tailored suits and flowing
dresses.

Quilted jackets and skirts covered in florals blended into the tapestries
draped onto the white pillars of the Tate Britain, while other styles included
oversized knit sweaters, perfect for an evening by the fire.

The somber hues, with flashes of bright orange, yellow or blue, were
inspired by Lee’s time “in autumn walking in nature, in Yorkshire,” the
39-year-old English designer told reporters after the show.

Lee has tried to give the troubled British house a facelift while remaining
true to its traditional, luxury roots, exemplified in his fifth and latest
collection.

Alongside former supermodel Naomi Campbell, the runway featured actors who
have starred in royal dramas “The Crown” and “Downtown Abbey” as well as
Regency-era drama “Bridgerton”, as Burberry tried to slot itself into the
roster of traditional storylines seeing a popular revival.

The fashion giant famed for its trench coats and signature tartan print is
the subject of rumours about the departure of its creative director, who could
be replaced by English designer Kim Jones.

However, these were brushed off by Lee. “I love the brand, it’s an
incredible brand. It’s really an honour to work for Burberry,” he said.

##’Improving’

Burberry, which has been experiencing months of financial difficulty, began
an “emergency” refocusing on its iconic products such as its trademark trench
coat late last year in a bid to stave off falling sales.

Chief Executive Joshua Schulman was brought in last July and tasked with
turning around Burberry’s fortunes.

“Josh has been here for just over six months, and things are going well,
things are definitely improving,” said Lee. “I think we’re all in a really
positive place.”

Brands across London Fashion Week and the world are grappling with a
reduced appetite for luxury products.

Still, there was room for spectacle across the four days — from a
captivating monologue by Florence Pugh opening a “rebellious” Harris Reed
catwalk to master milliner Stephen Jones flexing his muscles with hats made
out of chocolate, satin and even glass.

On the catwalks, 1980’s-inspired bubble skirts, fabrics from seersucker to
sheer, plenty of corsets and lingerie, tailoring and streetwear were paraded
down dramatic sets dotted around London.

Slipping behind

Despite the presence of renowned designers such as Simone Rocha and Richard
Quinn, and promising stylists such as S.S. Daley and Harris Reed, several
fashion experts said London Fashion Week was falling further behind Paris and
New York every year.

“There is a bit of a damp spirit, an empty feeling, to the London schedule
at the moment,” Daley told The Guardian newspaper before his show.

Caroline Rush, the director of the British Fashion Council which organises
London Fashion Week, acknowledged it was “a particularly challenging time” for
British brands.

Brands have been dealt severe blows following the pandemic, such as Brexit
and last year’s closure of the global luxury online platform Matches Fashion.
This year’s event is almost a day shorter than the previous Autumn-Winter
2024 fashion week, with several designers opting for a dinner or presentation
instead of a pricier runway show.

Buyers and influencers such as Beka Gvishiani of Style Not Com, an
Instagram account that charts fashion news, did not make the trip, while
Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson was also absent with his brand JW
Anderson.

Rush, who is organising her last London Fashion Week, said the event
remains “so relevant because … we have so many small independent businesses,
they need a platform to be able to show to reach global audiences.”(AFP)