THE COLLECTION marks the second instalment of the Friends and Family series, in which creative director Riccardo Tisci employs someone of personal and emotional significance to collaborate with, as the name suggests. For the Spring Summer 2023 collection, Tisci teamed up with artist Jared Buckheister who styled and photographed the collection, intertwining Burberry’s significance of British heritage alongside rave culture.
The collection itself champions house codes of duality, fusing refinement with functionality as a modern commentary on femininity: “Riccardo and I have a crossover in our love of workwear aesthetics. So much of my work as an artist draws upon the masculine archetype that inhabits these clothes. Immediately, I was interested in playing within this space,” mentions Buckheister.
Brand staples, like duffle coats and car jackets, are paired with leather skirts or biker trousers, while wool and cashmere cardigans are appliquéd with crystals or knitted with a farmyard animal print. A key hero of the collection, both women’s and men’s, is the pillbox-shaped, equestrian-inspired smooth leather caps, which give and exaggerated aesthetic and enhance the elements of subversion discussed by Buckheister.
For men, Tisci and Buckesiter continued to play on workwear styles emoting key influences of functionality and utility. A waxed cotton jacket is styled with structured, ankle length skirts, while the knight and equestrian emblem is found decorating more delicate pieces, like a cashmere-wool twinset or 3D printed over a tailored jacket.
For the Spring Summer 2023 pre-collection, Tisci also added a brand new bag to Burberry’s ever-growing roster of leather accessories. Named the sound bag, the latest addition comes in a cylindrical design referential of a portable speaker, interpreting the elements of rave and gig culture cited by Buckheister as a key inspiration for the shoot.
Coming in red embossed leather, which mimics the classic nova check, as well as a polished leather rendition taking on the Thomas Burberry monogram brought to the house by Tisci.
The partnership between Tisci and Buckheister is clearly successful when reviewing the pre-collection for Spring Summer 2023. Using elements of traditional, hyper masculine workwear to subvert gender norms, Buckheister took the garments and injected them with his vision of British rave culture whilst still being subtle and keeping in line with the house codes.
“The Friends and Family series is so important to me because it is a celebration of togetherness, creativity and collaboration,” mentions Tisci on reflection of the continual design series.
by Ben Sanderson