Burberry’s fashion family
Riccardo Tisci’s clash of off-duty streetwear and Parisian elegance at Burberry makes for a versatile fall collection
“I have been thinking a lot about Great Britain as a country of contrasts,” said Riccardo Tisci, Burberry’s chief creative officer, of his sophomore collection, which he showed at London Fashion Week in February. “From the structured to the rebellious and free, I wanted to celebrate how these elements coexist.” Entitled ‘Tempest’, it was a multifaceted offering that speaks to the brand’s multigenerational client base.
As with his debut at the British heritage house, Tisci chopped his co-ed show into two halves, building on the Burberry characters he first introduced last September – the girl, the boy, the lady and the gentleman. The first section was defined by off-duty streetwear, aimed at his millennial customers, while the second touched on this season’s Parisian bourgeoisie mood with refined daywear and elegant eveningwear.
““From the structured to the rebellious and free, I wanted to celebrate how these elements coexist”
”Riccardo Tisci
For the Burberry girl, there is a coolly subversive, oversized rugby shirt in cornflower blue, intended to be worn bare-legged as a mini dress with the brand’s stompy, white and check-printed Chelsea boots. Putting a rebellious spin on tailoring, there’s the deconstructed single-breasted houndstooth blazer with a red-zipped track-top insert and matching high-waisted pants with contrasting sporty stripes down the side. And for after hours, the sculptural off-the-shoulder, bubble-hemmed mini dress is a surprising statement piece.
As for the lady, her seemingly polite wardrobe comes with playful flourishes: a chic high-waisted pleated skirt is enlivened with crystal embellishment that shimmers with every swish; a classic trench coat is reimagined with a luxe cashmere monogrammed blanket detail; and another double-breasted trench has a vintage-feel, feathered shearling trim. There are more subdued moments here, too – the wrap dress with contrast panelling is an elegant addition to your office attire, as is the crisply tailored, goes-with-everything beige blazer.
Tisci’s stellar show casting was just as wide-ranging and included established catwalk faces Irina Shayk, Natalia Vodianova and Stella Tennant alongside names-of-now Gigi Hadid, Fran Summers and Sora Choi, as well as introducing new British ones-to-watch such as Kacie Hall, Anna Ross and Lulu Reynolds.
““My first season for Burberry was about starting to develop my alphabet for the house; it was about identifying new letters and new codes”
”Riccardo Tisci
As an Italian in London, Tisci cleverly observes the intricacies of British style. Having first moved to London in the ’90s to study at esteemed design college Central Saint Martins, he went on to work at Antonio Berardi and Givenchy before returning to the city last year at the helm of one of its most prestigious brands – meaning he has ostensibly lived both sides of his creative vision. With over two decades of experience behind him, he wholly understands our unique sartorial needs. And while the show was split into two, you needn’t pick a side– with such variety, there is the freedom to dress as you like, depending on your mood and lifestyle.
Looking to the future, now that he has defined his house codes, Tisci is thoughtfully establishing the new Burberry aesthetic: “My first season for Burberry was about starting to develop my alphabet for the house; it was about identifying new letters and new codes. And now, I’m starting to put these letters together to begin writing my book here, to form the first chapter for a new era at Burberry.”