FOLLOWING Riccardo Tisci’s debut collection for Burberry in SS19, a less speculative audience was eagerly awaiting what the Italian designer had in store for the British brand. If that wasn’t clear by the guest list, iconic location – Tate Modern – or the sheer calibre of models coming down the runway, this is the headline show of LFW.
The show opened with an announcement regarding the closure of clubs in an attempt to stop people from raving. What followed was heavy beats and part one of the Burberry AW19 collection, with you guessed it rave-inspired looks with model Sora Choi opening the runway. Big puffa jackets, trainers, tracksuits and parkas, polos worn as bottoms, and garment with new Burberry logo heavily emblazoned across it. Tisci later announced he wanted to represent the youth of today with this collection, but in a Tisci way, read: layering blazers over tracksuits and polo’s under corsets.
This is the London he fell in love with when first stepping foot into our British capital as a student. but are extremely contemporary.
The iconic plaid cap made numerous appearances, but nothing topped the amount of crossbody bags that accessorised the 106 (?!) looks for next autumn.
The show was overwhelming, to say the least, if your eyes wandered for a second – it proved to be hard – you could see performers climbing up the scaffolding and ladders, literally caging one section off from the audience.
Tisci wanted to capture the essence of Britishness, which wasn’t just rave-culture. Part two of his collection was informed by the more quintessentially British sharply cut suits, meticulously tailored smart wear and sleek style. A parade of beige and camel-coloured suits followed, proving that he is a true wizard when it comes to tailored fitting and a more dandy style, following in the footsteps of Thomas Burberry himself, albeit with a touch of Tisci.
Surprisingly it was the chapter of sophistication to caught our attention the most, his eye for details and stunning finishings were overpowering against the initial abundance of layers, fabrics, and volumes.
Keeping his collection contemporary, classy yet youthful, the Italian designer is a worthy successor to Christoper Bailey, and still keeps the house’s check in the mix. But what would a Burberry show be without a flag? As the love for Britain reached its climax when a model came parading down the catwalk in a jacket with an oversized Union Jack attached to it, patriotism at its finest.
The Burberry Baby hair is destined to make its way to street style, fly-aways wasn’t combed back with excessive amounts of gel, instead, they adorned the faces of the models in stunning shapes, a look we must recreate. Baby hair we’ren’t combed back with gel yet adorned the faces of models in elegant shapes.
For the love of London and Riccardo Tisci, reconfirming his rightful spot at the helm of the British brand, not that we ever doubted it.
by Lupe Baeyens