Daniel Lee presents his first collection

A black tent was pitched in Kensington Park for the Monday night show. Dark Burberry checks the walls, blue and light gray checkered blankets lie on the stools as well as hot water bottles. Even warm hot water bottles. And no champagne was served, but hot cocoa and cherries in metal cups. Can you get a trademark faster hot Make?

The design studio was closed with security days before the show. Nothing of the “new Burberry” under the direction of designer Daniel Lee has been previously announced. Except, of course, the self-selected, pre-sprinkled bread crumbs.

Campaign with the British all the time talent Like Vanessa Redgrave, son of Liam Gallagher, or Chelsea footballer Raheem Sterling, photographed by court photographer Lee Tyrone Lebbon in a very English setting: wind and weather, off-road vehicles, English roses. In addition to a new old logo, the Burberry Knight Prorsum, Latin for “forward,” which was already hanging on the big flags in the Regent Street store — has been revived in ink blue.

At Bottega Veneta, the Italian brand that gave Lee an exceptionally successful comeback in 2018, bright green parrot is the new house color. Hermès has orange, Ferragamo red, and Tiffany turquoise—so will Burberry go blue?

Burberry is far behind

Expectations from this demarcation, if we say so with a British cut, were very high. New CEO Jonathan Akeroyd, who came from Versace, wants to turn the brand into a 5-billion-dollar machine over the next few years. Unfortunately, it’s currently only about $3.7 billion. While most other luxury brands have posted record sales since the pandemic, Burberry is lagging behind, despite having several unique selling propositions.

It’s the only British mega-brand to feature an all-time bestseller, somewhat weatherproof, trench coat. Riccardo Tisci bravely worked through it, but increasingly relied on street fashion. In retrospect, the Italian seems like the most spectacular misstep in recent fashion history, and not much of his vision has stuck in the collective memory. The sneakers he designed, which are currently still in store windows, are nothing more than a really clumsy footnote.

Daniel Lee does not show Bottega’s slam dunk

Lee, finally British again, moreover from Yorkshire, where Burberry trench coats were originally made, please get the brand back on track as soon as possible. He must design clothes that develop a similar fan base as Bottega, and above all deliver accessories that you’ll immediately want to wear in droves. This has been very wrong with Burberry in recent years. The accessories sector is relatively weak at 37 percent.

To get straight to the point: It didn’t deliver to me what many expected. The set wasn’t immediately electrifying, and the first third with lots of color checks didn’t look bad on photos, with parts looking quite clumsy.

The collection isn’t a Bottega knockoff, as others had hoped, though the familiar elements—lots of oversized volume, oversized shoes, and good tailoring—are, of course, recognizable. How not, the man is still the same, you change the house, symbols, but not your whole identity. The new Burberry clearly shows where Lee wants to go, he just isn’t quite there yet. However, this is not surprising for the first groups.

But Liddy’s line is clearly recognizable

Burberry is supposed to be out again, with plenty of jackets and coats, but not necessarily trench coats. There will be anyway, you don’t have to show it on the platform. Dark green gabardine coats with large collars (faux fur) and beige jackets were among the best parts. Delicate wallabies and slippers looked no less convincing.

Obviously, “Burberry” should also be emphasized. down to earth He is. This is shown by the fox tails saddlebags, which can sometimes end up in the dirt. There were almost no elegant items, ladies and gentlemen of the British upper class will still find things here, but now also with tassels on epaulettes. Two one-shoulder duck feather dresses (to match the duck print and duck hat) will be featured in all the fashion magazines this fall.

Burberry Blue Rose

The new target group, and this is the real surprise, are working-class children, who will wear wide pants when clubbing. Girls who go to a bar wear big biker boots or half boots with a dozen buckles on the side. Boys who shave the sides of their high-tops don’t find pink-patterned coats “crushable,” but rather casual. Lee’s favorite motif is not diamonds at all, but the English rose. One of the tops read “A rose is not always… red”. But also in blue. Actually, Burberry blue. All this is not classic streetwear, as you have often seen on the catwalks in recent years. No hoodies, no slogans (cheers, my friend!), it’s about everyday wardrobe in the broadest and best sense.

Daniel Lee himself comes from Bradford, as I said. Not the best in the UK. His brother is a plumber, his sister is a nurse, and male relatives are not averse to tattooing. The assembled family traveled to the show. Grandma, mother, aunt, some of them still wear Bottega Veneta pieces due to the lack of new materials. Of course, they thought the first set was “cool,” as they proudly explained afterwards.

The working class is mine domestic lawn So to speak. You can accuse the guy a lot — he allegedly had to leave Bottega because he’s not supposed to be easy with the staff, but the 37-year-old isn’t a loner. Its design can also be bulky at times, but this makes it feel less predictable and less arbitrary. Not the worst trait to make an impression.

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